Final Fantasy 15-2: Reconstruction and Illusion
by YEB
Summary: Noctis and his Royal Retinue have given their lives to save the world. As their surviving comrades pick up the pieces, they realize there are still other threats to the world. Ones that can only be stopped by the late King and his companions. Sequel to the game events, will have OC's.
1. Chapter 1:Heirs to the Light

**Hi Everyone! I'm 3 for 3 on the Final Fantasy 15 fics. This time, I'm looking at a "sequel" to the events of the game, what could happen next, and is there somehow a way to "resurrect" our heroes. I don't have much written or thought out yet, so I'm not sure where I will go with it. However, I figured I'd post a little bit to see what people think. If it sits in the lonely void, that's fine too ;-) If any one is interested though, feel free to follow/fav or review. I always like those :-) Happy holidays!**

* * *

Insomnia was bathed in sunlight and celebrating the wedding of King Noctis and Lady Lunafreya Nox Fleuret, now Queen Lunafreya Lucis Caelum. The city streets were wreathed in flowers, and white confetti was raining from the skyscraper windows.

Inside the throne room of the Citadel, the hub of the Crown City, King Noctis Lucis Caelum was seated regally on his throne. The awkward boy had grown up, ready to take on the mantle as king. He glanced to his new bride, the former Princess of Tenebrae and Oracle. She smiled back, shyly.

He leaned forward to kiss her, the first real kiss he had given her—the one at the wedding didn't count since it was in front of so many people. This one was private and theirs alone.

She leaned forward to rest her head on his shoulder to sleep. He felt himself ready to doze off as well. Things were perfect. His reign was solid; the love of his life was by his side; the populace was strongly behind him. Why was he still feeling as though something was wrong?

* * *

Dawn was breaking over the skyscrapers of Insomnia—the cracked asphalt streets eagerly absorbing the sun's heat after ten years of darkness. While the darkness-stricken populace was rejoicing in the return of the light, three people were counting the cost.

Twenty-five year old Iris Amicitia, seemingly ageless Cor Leonis, and teenager Talcott Hester drove their aging pickup truck into downtown Insomnia. Even though Talcott was focused on the driving, he couldn't help but rubberneck at how the city had changed. It was still empty, but it was at long last daemon free.

Cor and Iris were grim. They knew the "miracle" of light had a cost, and that King Noctis and his royal retinue (including Iris's brother) were in the thick of it. The truck lurched to a halt at the gates of the Citadel. The trio continued on foot, in dread of what they would find.

Iris saw the first light reflecting off of objects at the foot of the steps of the Citadel. She ran forward, just to find a shattered camera, a pair of sunglasses split in half, and her brother's sword laying haphazardly on the ground. These were possessions that her brother Gladio and his comrades Ignis Scientia and Prompto Argentum would not have left behind, unless…

Iris dropped to her knees beside the sword in abject despair. In their efforts to save the world, the Royal Retinue had perished.

Cor left Talcott to see to Iris. The dark-haired warrior was no good at consoling people. There was no point in crying over what had happened. The point was to move forward. And he needed to see what happened to his king. Given, what they had found outside, he already had the truth. He just needed to confirm it.

The throne room was empty. The sunlight was streaming in through a hole in the wall, undoubtedly created by the Imperial attack almost 11 years ago. And the throne was empty. The velvet seat, symbol of the Lucis Royal Family for generations, was riddled with burns, and the stuffing was bleeding out from the various slashes left by numerous blades. "So, Noctis used the powers of the Old Kings," Cor thought, digesting the evidence before him.

It was as he had feared. Light had returned, but Noctis had had to die to do it.

Who would lead Insomnia now? Who was left to protect the crystal?

* * *

Aranea Highwind squinted as her eyes adjusted to the light, absent for the past ten years. It was absurd that she had been in Tenebrae this long, but had never accurately determined how destroyed the Tenebrae castle really was. It took daylight to really see it in all its ruined glory. "The Empire really did a number on it," she thought wonderingly. Then remembered she had once served them and inwardly flinched.

She wasn't the type to wallow in guilt though. Descended from a long line of lance-wielding dragoons tended to inure you to regrets. You played the hands you were dealt, made your choices, and moved on. Still, she was glad she had decided to help Tenebrae out. The town needed whatever help they could get after the power vacuum left after the losses of Prince Ravus Nox Fleuret and his sister Lunafreya.

Lunafreya, the "Oracle" (whatever that meant—Aranea still wasn't really sure) had given her all to stop the darkness and had died in the attempt. Her brother Ravus had been branded a traitor shortly after and had died too. The Empire's "alternative facts" had stated that he had been executed for treason, but Aranea had fought beside him before. She knew he wouldn't go down that easily. She figured there was more to the story than that, but she had been unable to uncover the truth.

In the end, she had given up, and had focused on protecting his homeland. She couldn't fault the results. The daemons could had done quite a bit more damage here if she and her team hadn't stepped in. In the ensuing ten years of darkness, Tenebrae hadn't fared too badly considering.

But now light was suddenly back. Pretty Boy had done it. That was the only explanation. She should drop by Insomnia and congratulate King Noctis in person. Things were in control here, and the light would just make things even better. She could afford a break.

* * *

"Come on, Iris, you need to eat," Talcott encouraged Iris. "You haven't eaten in two days."

"I'll eat later," she said, wanly.

"You want to sit in my diner, you eat" came a brisk feminine voice from behind them. Talcott and Iris looked up to see the grizzled blonde woman striding their way, bringing a tray with two bowls of soup.

"You too, Talcott," she said, setting the bowls down on the table. "Dig in."

"Thanks, but I'm ok, really," Iris tried again.

"No, you ain't," Cindy, expert mechanic and de facto leader of Hammerhead said, baldly. "I know you're grievin' for your brother, but he wouldn't want that. He'd want you to eat crazy big portions, just as he did."

"More likely he'd want me to eat Cup of Noodles," Iris commented, but began to tentatively eat her soup.

"You know, you aren't the only one grievin," Cindy said gently. "I, miss Prompto."

"Really," Iris asked in surprise.

"I, overlooked him when he was here. But, he really brightened this place up when he was around. I reckon I didn't know what I had until it was gone," she added sadly.

Iris swallowed hard, looking ready to start crying again. It seemed that was all she had done for the past two days, after the shock had worn off that is. She had never thought herself to be such a wuss that she would be almost prostrate with grief, but seeing Gladio's sword…Talcott had had to guide her to the car. She had no memory of the ride back to Hammerhead. It was only when she got back to the safe familiarity of her rooms behind the diner that she lost it, and appeared to still be lost.

Her conversation with Cindy threatened to break her again, but then the main door clanged, indicating a visitor. Cindy turned, briskly to greet the newcomer. It didn't matter who you were—everyone got the same hospitality at Hammerhead.

The newcomer looked tough. Despite the now peaceful times, she was still wearing black leather armor, and stood with a rigid posture. Cindy took one look at her, and knew she was a warrior.

"I'm here to see Cor Leonis," Aranea stated firmly to Cindy. "Is, he here?"

"He should be out huntin'," Cindy said.

"I see. I'll go find him," Aranea stated. She paused by Iris's table. "You're Iris, right," she asked. "I'm, sorry, about your brother," she added awkwardly, then left the diner as abruptly as she had come in.

* * *

It amazed Cor that even though light had just returned, the big animals were already back out and preying on travelers. It seemed that if it wasn't daemons to worry about, it was animals. Still, it gave him something to do, to make him feel less useless. He should have helped the boys more. Gladio was his protégé for goodness sake, and he had just abandoned him. He had left his King, his protégé, and their friends to die. He shook his head. He couldn't focus on that. He had to move forward. And slaying these pesky predators would be a good start.

He was just about to lunge forward to attack the next beast when he saw a shadow appear over the beast's head. He looked up sharply to see the shadow taking shape as a woman. The platinum-haired blonde swooped down and impaled the beast with a lance, effectively eliminating the threat.

Cor didn't like people finishing his battles for him, but he had to concede her technique was on point. He surveyed the woman rising gracefully from her landing. "So, you've had some Dragoon training," he asked. Although it was more of a comment than a question.

"You're well-informed. Although with a title like 'Cor the Immortal' I'd be surprised if you weren't," the woman replied brightly.

Cor studied the woman warily. She had the advantage of him, and he didn't like it. "So, you know who I am, and where to find me. If you're coming to fight me, you might have bitten off more than you can chew, ma'am," he stated matter of factly, the underlying threat obvious.

The woman laughed good-naturedly. "So do you think anyone who approaches you is there to kill you," she asked. "Never mind," she said, waving off his reply. "I'm Aranea Highwind. I'm, a friend of Noctis. I, have seen the markers in Insomnia. I want to know what the hell happened to him and his entourage."

Cor sighed. "It will be a long story, Miss Highwind. Let's return to Hammerhead so you can collect the bounty on this mark, then I can go over it with you there."

"I didn't come to poach your bounty, Cor. You already had it pretty much weakened by the time I got here. Why don't we go back, you get your bounty, then you can tell me everything?"

* * *

"So, you're telling me that Noctis had to be struck down, by his own ancestors, just to get the power to stop all of this," Aranea demanded, cup of ebony forgotten and clenched in her hand.

Cor surveyed her calmly across the table of the Hammerhead Diner. "It's the Power of Kings," Cor replied as though stating fact.

"Bullshit! All it did was give that 'charmer' of a Chancellor Ardyn Izunia exactly what he wanted. He wanted the Royal Family of Lucis destroyed, and he succeeded."

Ok. Now she was crossing a line, Cor thought, losing his cool. "Noctis did return light to the world. Are you belittling his sacrifice," Cor asked in rising anger.

Aranea stopped cold. "Of course not. Noctis, died a hero and a warrior, as they all did. However, it shouldn't have needed to be. There had to be have been another way."

"What's done is done," Cor said repressively. "Whining about it now helps no one. We have to move on."

Aranea sighed, forcing herself to relax. Cor was right. As a warrior, she couldn't cry over what was past. They had to move forward.

"So, what happens to Insomnia now," she asked. "I mean, there is no leadership."

"I've been thinking about that. As the most senior surviving member of the Kingsglaive, it is my duty to oversee the rebuilding. I, suppose that means the new leader is me. At least in the short term," Cor said resignedly.

"You sound so excited about it," Aranea replied sarcastically. "It's kind of like what happened to me with Tenebrae. I started with small scale defense of the kingdom and next thing I know everyone is looking to me for everything from how to rebuild schools to how to negotiate trade agreements with Altissia. Sometimes I miss just killing for hire. It was so much easier."

"I had heard a former Imperial Mercenary had was ruling Tenebrae now. I didn't know it was you," Cor replied in respect.

"Yeah. For what it's worth. Can't say I've done a good job or anything, but we've managed ok considering. If you need advice or supplies, I can hook you up," Aranea replied in all seriousness.

Cor glanced across the table to her. "I appreciate the offer," he replied.

* * *

Cor was figuring things out on his own, slowly. He refused to sit in the throne room in the Citadel—that was the Royal Family's and he was never going to usurp it. He conducted his business in a conference room instead. While it seemed more "corporate" than "Royal", it was much more practical. And it was getting the job done. In the month since he had spoken to Aranea, a few thousand people had already moved back to the city, and repairs were underway. Cor had authorized a full survey of all of the skyscrapers to make sure they were still structurally sound after ten years of neglect. He was learning the routine, and how to handle things quite well, until today.

"Thank you for agreeing to see me," his visitor spoke, then looked down to the boy standing next to him. "Come, Lux, make your greeting to King Cor."

"It's an honor to meet you, Your Highness," the silver-haired boy replied brightly. "I'm so excited to meet a real King."

"You happen to be mistaken," Cor addressed the boy. "I do not hold the title of King. I go by Chairman instead."

"Oh, my apologies," the man replied, intercepting Cor's comment to his charge. "And I have been most remiss in introducing myself. My name is Belenus Arawn, and this young man here is my charge Lux."

Cor was studying the man. He did not trust him, but then again he didn't trust any redheads anymore since Ardyn. And he didn't like this man's obsequiousness either. That too was disturbingly familiar.

Still, his visitor could not be confused for Ardyn by any means. He was younger—probably anywhere between 25 and 40. His hair, while red, was not auburn like Ardyn's. It was on the orange side and short, chunks spiking out like he doused it in hairspray. He must use the same styling techniques Noctis used, Cor observed.

Cor glanced over to the boy, standing happily at the man's side. He seemed good-natured, but there was still something, familiar about him. Enough to make him uneasy.

"What can I do for you, Mr. Arawn," Cor asked, hoping the man would get to the point and then leave.

"Oh, I believe it's the other way around," the man replied brightly. "You see. I have brought you the heir to the Lucis Royal Family. Lux Lucis Caelum. Son of the late Noctis Lucis Caelum."

* * *

"You expect me to believe that," Cor asked the carrot-top once Cor had regained some sangfroid.

"Oh, of course not," the man replied smoothly. "I certainly didn't expect to come in, drop that bombshell, and expect you to believe me just like that. I can certainly provide you with proof. That is, if you will allow us brief access to the crystal."

"We have had people attempt to use deception to access the crystal before, as I'm sure you know," Cor replied coldly.

Belenus held his hands up in an attempt to placate. "Oh dear. Upon reflection I know how awful that must sound. Indeed, I know what happened last time. But without access to the crystal, I cannot prove my young lord's claims. And I'm sure as a man so loyal to the Royal Family, you would not be so cruel as to turn away a potential heir without giving him a chance."

Belenus had him there, Cor realized. He'd have to give the boy a chance. He still didn't see how Noctis had a son, and it just raised further questions if he did. However, he had to at least see this through. And if he ended up calling Belenus's bluff, then all the better.

"Very well," Cor said. "I shall grant access. Just to the boy though, and there will be guards."

"Fair enough," Belenus responded. "I shall wait here, and am on hand to answer any questions that you may have, as long as I know the answers of course."

Cor felt a chill down his spine. This polished oiliness reminded him of when he had first met Ardyn, when he came to gloat about the Empire's win, and to force Noctis and Luna to marry, just to betray them all. He resolved right then and there that they would not have a repeat. If Belenus wanted to start something, they would find Insomnia much more on the ball now.

Cor lead the child to the elevator to take him to the crystal room. Now that this kid could potentially be Noctis's, Cor looked at him much more closely. Maybe the familiarity he felt was because there was some Noctis DNA in there, he wondered. The boy looked to be about ten, which would have made the timing right, that is, if Noctis had really gone off the rails and had an affair on the way to his arranged marriage with Luna. Would he have done something like that in an effort to rebel against his arranged marriage? Cor was getting ahead of himself.

The boy was pale—even his hair was pale—a silver gray like Noctis's had been when he was older. The boy was silent, but surveying the ornate elevator with amused fascination. Cor decided to break the silence.

"So, where is your home," he asked the boy.

The boy jumped, seemingly startled by the question. "I, don't remember," he stated. "I've, travelled around a lot."

"Do you remember, your mother?"

"No. She, died when I was born."

"I'm, sorry," Cor replied awkwardly. He was not getting any answers this way. All he knew was that the kid didn't know his mother or where he was from. This boy's claim to the throne, such as it was, was shrinking even more.

The guards stepped aside to let Cor and Lux into the throne room. Cor hadn't been in here since he had searched for Noctis. It was still painful coming in here.

"The crystal," the previously animated boy said, flatly, as though hypnotized, then staggered with focused intent towards the crystal, as though it were drawing him in. Cor watched, fascinated. The last time he had seen behavior like that was when Noctis was two, and had interacted with the crystal for the first time.

As Lux approached the crystal, it began to glow—the watery blue light turning the throne room into a reflection of a swimming pool. The boy reached the crystal, and put his hand out to it. The crystal bathed him in a warm glow. Then the boy rose his other hand, and a crystal shield appeared before him—the very one King Regis had used in battle all those years ago.

The crystal had accepted Lux. This could mean only one thing. Lux was of royal blood. What the hell was Cor supposed to do now?


	2. Chapter 2: Cracks in Reality

**I have supporters. Yay! Thanks Azalares, Kurama468, and Wintersong15. You are the best! Anyway, since I have a bit of a lull before the holidays, and in case anyone out there wants more material to help form an opinion one way or the other, I decided to post another chapter. Hope you like it! Feedback/follows always welcome. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!**

* * *

The Citadel may have been an office building but it was also a royal palace, complete with courtyards. Even if that courtyard was a rooftop terrace on the roof of the building. Noctis was strolling through it, with his wife on his arm. Luna was staring at it in amazement.

"Why didn't you tell me you had something like this here," she exclaimed in wonder.

"Well, it's a big place. I forgot about it till now actually," Noctis replied awkwardly. It was not like he meant to hide it from her.

She reverently reached out and touched a white rose, trailing leisurely against a trellis, the delight in her face obvious.

"From what my dad told me, it is traditionally one of the queen's jobs to oversee the courtyard. You can plant and design it however you want," Noctis told her.

"I think it's nice just the way it is," Luna replied. "Well, maybe I do have an idea or two of possible modifications," she added coyly after a moment of thought.

Noctis smiled. Typical Luna, he thought with tolerant amusement. But he couldn't shake the feeling that there was something else he should be doing. He had no idea what though. It was not like he had had a rocky path to the throne. His father had died of old age just recently, leaving the throne to his son, and Noctis had married his childhood sweetheart Luna shortly thereafter. As an Oracle, it was Luna's primary duty to bring light and hope to the world. However, the world was already full of both. She was on hand to support that effort in case it was required, but for now her primary duty was as the Queen of Insomnia.

He still had the nagging sense that something wasn't right. Something must have shown in his face, since Luna stopped and looked at him sharply.

"What's wrong, dear," she asked him.

"Oh, it's nothing," Noctis replied too quickly, and looked away.

She reached out and touched his cheek, gently turning him to face her once more. "Don't give me that, Noctis. What is it?"

Noctis sighed. He should have known he couldn't (and shouldn't) keep secrets from his wife. "It all seems a little too perfect, doesn't it," he blurted out.

Luna looked at him in shock for a moment. "Are you, not happy with me," she asked in sudden concern.

"Of course not. That's not it. I've never been happier, with you, with everything. It's just, it seems too good to be true."

Luna glanced away, thinking. "I've actually been wondering the same thing. I remember my mother saying how important the role of Oracle is, but I never did anything with it. It somehow seems like, something is missing. Like, I should have done more with my powers."

"It may sound selfish, but I for one am glad of it. I have heard that using the true powers of the Oracle can be deadly for them. And I wouldn't have wanted that for you," Noctis replied firmly.

Luna nuzzled her head against his shoulder. Noctis responded by tilting her head up to kiss her. Even if there was something wrong lurking out there, this part, at least, felt right.

* * *

"So, the crystal responded to him," Belenus asked Cor as soon as they returned to the conference room.

"It would appear so," Cor said warily. "I will concede that Lux has a connection to the royal family."

"Yay! I'm a royal," Lux cut in excitedly.

"Adults are talking now," Belenus scolded his charge firmly. Lux subsided with a pout.

Belenus had some questions to answer, and Cor needed the boy out of the way for the moment. It was easy enough to do. He had one of the servants take Lux away to have lunch. After chortling with glee that he was going to eat at the "royal table," Lux danced away happily.

"Who is his mother," Cor asked Belenus as soon as Lux departed.

"Alas, I do not know," the redhead at the opposite side of the conference room table replied.

"Then how did you know he is Noctis's son," Cor demanded.

"Worried he will take your place as ruler," Belenus replied coolly, stating facts. Cor listened intently for underlying malice behind those words, but if it was there, he missed it.

"Any and all claims to the throne must be investigated thoroughly, whether by myself or by a neutral party," Cor replied firmly.

"Well said," Belenus replied. "However, can you really find anyone neutral here? You are the de facto ruler after all."

Cor clenched his hands in frustration. "A neutral party from outside Insomnia could be found. Now, tell me how you met Lux and how you knew he was of royal blood."

"I met him a very short time ago. He was an orphan at Galdin Quay, doing odd jobs to make ends meet. He was otherwise a normal boy, and I paid him no mind. However, while I was there, a fire broke out in the resort kitchen. Lux ran in to try to help the guests. I of course couldn't stand by to watch a kid kill himself, so I went in to try to grab him, to save him from himself as it were. It was then that I saw him warp to grab trapped people and pull them out. I lost track of him, he was so fast. The only people I know who have that capability are the Insomnia Royal Family. I did the math, came to the logical conclusion, and brought him home."

"Why? What's in it for you," Cor asked bluntly.

"Nothing! I just wanted to bring a lost little boy home," Belenus responded in all sincerity.

Cor could take what Belenus said at face value, but then, he had been around Ardyn Izunia, the master of lies. He didn't trust this man at all, but he couldn't discount Lux's affinity with the crystal.

"So what happens now," Cor asked him.

"I'm flattered that you, Chairman of Insomnia, would ask me for advice," Belenus replied brightly. Cor gritted his teeth at the Ardyn-like oil oozing from him, but kept silent. "If it were up to me," Belenus replied, "I would make Lux welcome in the castle. And not to invite myself or anything, but I am the only constant in the poor child's life right now. It would make sense if you grant me permission to stay here with him for the time being, until he gets used to things."

Cor had to concede the point. Even though he wanted to kick Belenus out, he was the only person Lux knew right now. He couldn't traumatize him by taking his guardian away and foisting the kid on strangers. He had no choice: he would have to do exactly as Belenus said. That didn't mean he would welcome the kid with open arms though. He would be investigating the hell out of the kid, and out of Belenus, and if there was any type of treachery, he would uncover it, and stop it.

* * *

The throne chair really was uncomfortable, Noctis thought for the 50th time, fidgeting to keep his legs from falling asleep in the hard chair. It didn't help that most of the problems he was solving as king were pretty mundane. He glanced at the paperwork on the table next to him—trade treaties with Altissia, a letter from King Ravus (his brother in law) congratulating him on his wedding once more but cautioning him that if he ever hurt Luna there would hell to pay, etc. He shouldn't complain, he supposed, but it seemed that most of this stuff didn't need him to handle it. It could be left in the capable hands of his prime minister.

"Is there a problem with the paperwork," a cool suave voice cut in from across the room. Speaking of prime ministers, Noctis thought with amusement as the light brown-haired bespectacled man strode into the room, pure business in his stance, and in the dark suit he was wearing. It was always business with Ignis Scientia, Noctis thought. He wondered if Ignis was ever capable of goofing off or cracking a joke.

"Of course not. I was, just getting ready to sign them," Noctis said, doing his best to keep any defensiveness out of his tone. Regardless of rank, Ignis always made Noctis feel like he was caught sleeping on the job. Noctis scrawled his name and gave the paperwork to Ignis.

Ignis looked at him warily. "You shouldn't sign things without double checking them," he cautioned. "As King it is your role to maintain ultimate authority and make sure your government officials aren't doing anything untoward."

"Are you doing anything weird," Noctis asked.

"That's not the point. I could say anything, truth or not, and if you don't read what you sign, you'd never know."

"I get it," Noctis said, resigned.

Ignis glanced at the paperwork to verify everything was in order. "Another job well done," he replied dryly, but with an edge to it that made Noctis pay closer attention.

"What do you mean," Noctis asked.

Ignis shrugged. "It's difficult to say, but it just seems too easy, this Prime Minister thing. Everyone agrees with whatever I say, and acts as though I'm the most competent person in the world."

"Well you are pretty competent. I wouldn't have appointed you if you weren't," Noctis commented idly.

"Thank you, Noct. However, it just seems, too perfect."

Noctis stiffened. There those words were again.

"I've thought the same thing, and so has Luna actually," Noctis said.

Ignis looked back intently. "Hmm. They say once is happenstance, twice is coincidence, three times is enemy action. If all three of us think something is wrong, then perhaps there is something to it."

"What should we do," Noctis asked.

"I say we get our Captain of the Guards. If there is a possible threat, Gladio should be in the loop."

* * *

"It's really awesome of you to let me take pictures of all these plants, uh Your Highness," Prompto awkwardly commented to Luna.

"Call me, Luna, please. And I'm flattered that the editor of Insomnia's royal newspaper feels my updates to the garden are front page news."

Prompto beamed. He'd take the editor title. It fit his passion for photography to a tee. Still…

"Yeah. Although…nevermind."

"What is it," Luna persisted.

"Um, nothing," Prompto replied, a shade too defensively.

"Prompto," Luna threatened, brandishing a full watering can and aiming to dump it on his head.

He waved his hands placatingly. "Ok ok. Well, to be honest, I don't really have any front page stories. There's nothing going on. Nothing cool to hook in readers or to take pictures of."

"Yeah. It's like Noctis says. Things are too perfect," Luna replied.

"Yeah totally! That's exactly right. It just seems, weird, you know? As far as I can tell, everyone is peaceful and happy."

"And you think there is something dark behind it," Luna asked.

"Well, I wouldn't go that far. I like it being peaceful and all. It just feels like, a dream that we will eventually wake up from."

Luna looked at Prompto with respect. She had always thought him oblivious to things, and wouldn't detect anything even if it hit him the face. The fact that he was perceiving similar things to her and Noctis was surprising, and also disturbing. If even he noticed, there was a problem.

"I agree," Luna replied. "I think you should speak to Noctis. It would make him feel a lot better if he knew he wasn't alone in this."

"Good idea," Prompto said brightly, then dashed off to do just that.

* * *

"So let me get this straight: you think because things are so peaceful and prosperous, that something is wrong," Gladio asked in gruff surprise.

"I admit that it sounds strange when you phrase it like that, but yeah," Noctis replied.

"Indeed," Ignis added. "I am a firm believer in the saying 'there is no such thing as a free lunch,' and it seems that ever since Noctis's ascension to power exactly that has been happening to us."

"Yeah," Prompto added in his two cents. "It is a bit boring around here which is weird."

"What do you expect? Foes stepping out of the woodwork at every turn," Gladio snarked back sarcastically.

"Come on, Gladio. Don't you think it's a wee bit suspicious that you haven't had any enemies to fight since you took on your captain of the guard duties," Prompto returned.

"Hmm. You do have a point there. And it's even weirder that after all of this time, nobody has broken the law. Except that one guy who has been imprisoned since just before Noct took the throne."

"Wait! I have a political prisoner," Noctis asked in surprise.

"I dunno what he did," Gladio returned. "Except that he's a bitch and a half to talk to. Whenever guards try to interrogate him, they come out with nothing, and say he manages to rile _them_ up. Not the other way around."

"It seems to me like this prisoner is the one thing that does not belong," Ignis replied. "I think it behooves us to speak to him."

"Good luck with that. As I said, you try to get answers out of him, he gets them out of you."

"I'll talk to him," Noctis stated. "I am king after all. Maybe that will carry some weight with this guy."

Gladio just shrugged. "If you want. No promises though. I'll escort you down when you are ready to go."

"No time like the present," Noctis replied.

* * *

"Another critter taken down. Nice work, Iris," Cindy praised, paying out the bounty to the veteran huntress.

"Thanks. What else you got," she replied.

"Look, as much as I appreciate you goin' above and beyond takin care of these beasts round here, shouldn't you be getting back to Insomnia? Cor could probably use your help right now training the new heir to the throne."

"Cor wanted me to hunt in his stead, so I will do that. Besides, I'm no good with kids."

"Better than Cor, I reckon."

"My mind is quite made up," Iris stated.

Cindy sighed. "I'm sure you know what you're doing," she added.

"Maybe," Iris muttered, wandering out of the diner.

She knew Gladio wouldn't want her doing this—he had always been protective of her almost to a fault. He would have had a fit if he knew she was spending her days taking down bounties. Still, it was better than going back to Insomnia. She would never go back there. There were too many memories that she didn't want to deal with. She was going back out to the wilderness where things made sense.

Not before stocking up though. She stopped by one of the weapons trucks parked outside to grab more ammunition—you could be a badass swordsman all you wanted, but it meant nothing if it forced you too close to the jaws of a ravening beast. A bullet or thirty did just as well and from a safe distance.

She was surveying the wares of the gruff shopkeeper, debating the merits versus cost of hollow point bullets against regular bullets when she heard somebody saunter up as well. She looked around sharply—there were few people frequenting weapon shops these days.

"If I were you, I'd go with regular bullet over the hollow points. Even with having to use more of them to get the job done, they end up being cheaper in the long run," Aranea commented.

The clerk opened his mouth to disagree, but then subsided, figuring it wasn't worth the trouble to argue with a potential customer.

"Aranea! What are you doing here," Iris asked in genuine surprise.

"I'm actually on my way to Insomnia to have a little meeting with the new 'King'".

"Cor has not approved him yet," Iris replied swiftly.

"I know. I want to meet this kid to see what his deal is. I seriously doubt he is actually Noctis's son."

"Really! Why do you say that?"

"Remember how Noctis was ten years ago? Do you think a dork like that would have been suave enough to get into a woman's pants?"

"I dunno. Some girls find that cute," Iris replied.

Aranea rolled her eyes. "Think about it. Between hunting, fighting Gods, me, and the Empire, and having a loyal entourage around you at all times, do you really think Noctis would have had time for any sleeping around? Heck, the only women he was around routinely were you, me, and Cindy. And I know I didn't do anything with him. He's not my type."

"Same here! Not that he's not my type, but, I mean, everything was platonic between us," Iris said, flustered.

"And you were only 15 or so," Aranea commented. "If something had happened, I would think much less of Noctis," she added firmly.

"And Cindy is married to her work. There's no way she would have…"

"I agree. And she's been in Hammerhead forever. If she had had a kid, we would have heard about it from someone. I know I can't rule out the fact that Noctis may have had a kid with someone we don't know, but I strongly suspect not."

"Then who is Lux? And how can he use the crystal? Cor saw him use it with his own eyes, as did a bunch of guards."

"That's the question. I dunno, and I don't like it. That's why I'm going to Insomnia. Maybe I can find out the truth for myself. If you are at loose ends, why don't you join me?"

Iris thought for a moment. She didn't want to go back to Insomnia. The memories of her brother's death and Noctis's were still too raw. Still, she couldn't stand by if the kid was up to no good. She owed it to Gladio's memory to protect the kingdom however she could.

"If you've got room for one more, I'll tag along," Iris finally replied.

Aranea said nothing, but led the way to her black sports car.

* * *

Noctis strode down to the "dungeons" of his castle. Well, since his "castle" was an office building, the dungeons were more jail cells in the basement of the building, and equipped with the creature comforts of any modern "civilized" jail. Even if the lone prisoner in there (for now) didn't deserve it.

"You sure you don't want us to go in with you," Ignis asked Noctis warily.

"Nah. I got this," he replied.

"Hmph. I'm right outside if he starts anything," Gladio replied tersely.

The heavy metal door creaked on its hinges upon opening, allowing Noctis his first glance at the prisoner. The man was lounging on the one cot the cell offered, his booted feet curled up and resting on the wall. The man was using his ratty, moth-eaten gray paisley cloak as a blanket, and had a faded gray fedora over his face.

"Time for more bread and water already," the man drawled languidly, but removed his hat and sat up, just to see Noctis and stiffen.

Now that Noctis has a full view of the man, he sized him up. The man had been in here for awhile, and was evidently not being treated well. His auburn hair was tangled and matted, and falling greasily down his shoulders. He was unshaven as well, with a violet-red beard so long he looked like a hermit. Frankly, Noctis was shocked that Gladio would allow a prisoner to be treated like this.

The man stared back in malicious amusement.

"King Noct," the man spoke sarcastically. "I wondered when 'His Majesty' would grace me with his presence."

"Who are you," Noctis demanded. "Why are you the only prisoner here? What did you do?"

The man chuckled smugly. "Surely you remember me? Granted, I was much better groomed when we last met, but seriously, how could you forget me? I am the man who gave you your ascension."

"You're lying," Noctis stated firmly. "I inherited the throne from my late father."

"Ah yes. The one bit of imperfection in this perfect world," the man replied mockingly. "Why didn't the powers that be just cart him away on the back of a unicorn and do away with his death completely?"

Noctis didn't want to encourage this crackpot, but then again, he had sought him out for answers. "What do you mean," he asked coldly.

"Your kingdom. All of this," the man gestured around him flamboyantly. "Is an illusion. You've been given a perfect little paradise here while I get to molder in this petty cell for all eternity. You saved the world though, so there's that," the man mocked.

"I didn't save anything," Noctis said.

His prisoner rolled his eyes. "Oh, Noct. For being so 'noble and wise' you are still just as naïve as you were when I first met you. For your sake, I will be blunt. You, your dear wife, and your royal entourage all gave your lives to save the world and defeat me. Face it. You are dead, and this is your afterlife, just as this cell is mine."

Noctis reeled. "That's bullshit!"

"Need I remind you that you came to me? I assume you wanted answers. I gave them. I have no reason to lie. But if you came to torture me or to gloat instead, well that's your prerogative."

Noctis glared back. "I do not torture prisoners even if my guards apparently do. I will get a barber and hygiene services in here for you," Noctis replied coldly.

"Oh, don't waste your time. Gladio has done the same, and it does no good. It's all part of my penance," the auburn-maned man replied.

"Penance for what," Noctis demanded.

"Why, for attempting to destroy the world, and for killing you and Lady Lunafreya. Well, I actually succeeded in the 'killing' part," the man gloated. "It's a pity the Astrals took your memories away. We'd have so much more to talk about otherwise. Your loss, I suppose," he taunted.

Noctis just turned on his heel and left, mind still reeling from what his prisoner had told him. He had to focus on things logically and on what he knew. From Gladio, he knew the prisoner's name was Ardyn Izunia. He now knew Ardyn was evidently crazy, and Noctis would be a fool to believe anything he said.

That was all well and good. However, logic had nothing to do with the fact that Noctis suspected that there may be something to what Ardyn had told him. He shook his head. From what Gladio said, it was that man's MO to mess with people. And he had successfully planted the seed of doubt in Noctis's mind—doubts about his world and his existence in it.


	3. Chapter 3: Who, What, Where, Why, How

**Howdy everyone! I have another follower! Awesome! Welcome to the party, Librius. Hope everyone likes where I go from here. I don't have much written past this-not much time to write over the holiday season-I got Persona5 for Christmas so have been playing that instead of writing :) Here's hoping I have some time around New Years to fix that. Anyway, enough rambling. Here we go...**

* * *

"Come on, Belenus. Do I really need to learn this stuff? It's boring," the platinum-haired boy whined to his guardian.

"So you find the geography of Eos boring, 'future king'" Belenus asked him unfazed.

"It's useless," Lux spat. "I mean, I will be king soon. Why do I need to waste my time with this? I will get to do whatever I want as king anyway."

Belenus gave him a tolerant smile. "Indeed. However, Cor has it in his head that kings should be learned. You should be learning from his example."

"Hmph," Lux pouted. "I will do things differently when _I'm_ king," he stated.

"Shh," Belenus said, putting his finger to his lips. He heard footsteps approaching the library.

He thought it would be Cor, but two his surprise, it was two women. Two attractive women, he thought with an appreciative smile.

Iris didn't know who the man was, but she had to admit he was, handsome. Well maybe, beautiful was the better term. His features were delicate, but with just enough definition to keep them masculine. His complexion was pale, unblemished—his flaming hair a stark contrast. His eyes were a sherry brown color—almost red, and were surveying her with an intensity that made her uncomfortable.

He rose and stepped forward with rapt attention. "I am honored to meet you, miss…"

"Uh, Amicitia. Iris Amicitia," Iris replied, doing her best to keep any embarrassment out of her tone.

"Would you be related to Gladious Amicitia," he asked her.

"He is, was, my brother," she replied.

"I am so sorry for your loss," he replied gently, and took her hand. Iris jerked in surprise. "If there is anything I can do to assist, just say the word, and I am yours."

Aranea snorted, having had enough. "You can start by telling us who you are. And spare us the flowery language, please. Some of us don't like it."

"Very well, Moon Goddess," he replied with a smirk. Aranea stiffened in dislike.

"I am Belenus Arawn, humble servant of Lux Lucis Caelum," he indicated his charge with a fluid gesture.

Lux stared back at the visitors in avid interest. "Who are you," he asked with the bluntness of youth.

Aranea was studying him, looking for any familiar features, anything to indicate he was related to Noctis, or if she could pick out who his mother could be. There was some familiarity to the features, but she could not be sure. It was disconcerting.

She knelt down so as not to intimidate the kid by her height. "I'm Aranea Highwind. I've heard all about you, and wanted to meet you."

"Oh. Is it because I'm going to be king," he asked, with a twinge of cynicism that startled her.

"Partly. But also, I knew your father. I just wanted to see for myself that you are settled in ok."

"Yeah. It's totally awesome here. Who would have thought my castle would be so epic," he bragged. "Although I'm kind of bored with reading this stuff," he indicated the textbooks around him.

"Learning is quite important," Belenus said. "In fact, Miss Highwind, it might be best if you met with us later. We don't want his studies interrupted after all," he replied. "And between you and me," he whispered conspiratorially, "it is quite difficult to keep him focused. Any distraction will pull him away for the entire day. We shall attend to you later."

Aranea opened her mouth to contradict him. She didn't care if the kid was in the middle of a goddamned final exam. She was here to ask questions, and would not be delayed. She opened her mouth to say just that when Iris beat her to the punch.

"We understand completely, sir. Perhaps we will meet you again at dinner," Iris asked tentatively.

Belenus put his hand to his heart, surveying Iris soulfully. "I shall count the hours," he said.

"What the hell was that," Aranea demanded of Iris as soon as they left the room.

"What," she asked, all innocence.

"How can you be taken in by that guy's flattery? Don't you see him for the sycophant he is?"

"I'm not taken in," Iris replied defensively. "He's a creep! I merely thought we should humor him. You looked about to punch his face in, which would make the kid uncomfortable."

Aranea sighed. "I'm not that bad. I can hold it in, even if I wanted to smack that carrot top. He sure seemed taken with you though," Aranea commented pensively.

"He was hitting on both of us in case you didn't notice, 'Moon Goddess,'" Iris replied with a snicker.

Aranea pointedly ignored her, and led the way back to the throne room to report in to Cor.

* * *

"So, you're saying that Ardyn told you everything we are going through right now is a lie," Ignis asked Noctis, trying to digest everything Noctis told them.

"As best as I could tell," Noctis replied.

"That guy is as crazy as a loon," Gladio snarked in response. "Why the hell are we even considering anything he says?"

Ignis was pensive for a moment. "As strange as it sounds, it is one thing that would explain all of this. They say the weirder the story, the more likely it is."

"The dog ate my homework," Gladio replied scathingly.

"Do you have any other ideas," Noctis cut in.

"No," Gladio subsided. "So suppose we follow this path of whatever? What do we do next?"

"The question I would ask," Ignis said, "is why we have no memory of this. Why would none of us remember?"

"Didn't Ardyn say the Astrals took our memories away," Luna asked. "It does make a disturbing amount of sense. It would take a powerful force to trap us in an existence like this, and wipe our memories. The only ones I can think of who could do this are the Astrals. If I could find them and talk to them, I may be able to get us some answers."

"It's too dangerous," Noctis cut in.

"How? If what Ardyn says, I'm already dead," Luna replied logically.

"And that bastard did it," Gladio replied angrily.

"I'm wondering, if maybe we can find some kind of, I dunno, proof first," Prompto added. "I can check some of my old photos and see if anything looks out of whack."

"Hmm. There is the saying, 'if you can see it, it's real'," Ignis replied. "Why don't we start there? If we find anything there, then we can discuss next steps."

Noctis looked at Luna suspiciously. "Don't even think about going off on your own, 'dear'," he told her, a dark threat in his tone.

"What makes you think I would," she snarked back.

"Oh, maybe your tendency to do everything by yourself. Hold off for a bit, ok? If Prompto uncovers something, then we will go from there."

Luna sighed. "Ok. I will wait to wander off. But as soon as we determine it makes the most sense…"

"Then I will go with you," Noctis said firmly.

* * *

In all the activities Aranea had had to take on as "ruler" of Tenebrae, the one thing she couldn't abide was political dinners. To her view, food was to be eaten quickly between tasks, and conversation was to be kept to a minimum. It appeared Cor thought the same way. It certainly made her dinner with the potential future king of Lucis a lot of fun, she thought sarcastically.

It was ironic that of all of them, Belenus seemed the most prepared for it. He had even dressed up for the occasion. His clothes should have looked foppish, but Iris had to admit he wore them well. His russet velvet suit was well-tailored, and he was even wearing an emerald green cape. It should have looked weird and outdated, but then again, there was no standard dress code in this world. In her experience though, the more flamboyantly dressed the person, the more you had to watch out for them.

Lux had not dressed for dinner. He was hunched over his food, picking at it uncomfortably.

"Mind your manners, Lux," Belenus chided. "You don't want the Queen of Tenebrae to think you are some ill-mannered brute do you?"

Lux looked startled for a minute, and glanced up at Aranea in new interest. "Oh! Sorry, Ma'am. I didn't know you were a queen. Do you, wear a crown and stuff," he asked.

"Nah. I don't mess with that stuff," Aranea replied. "And I'm not really a queen. I go by Minister actually."

"Oh. Are there any other kings and queens out there?"

Cor and Aranea looked at each other, doing a mental tally of other royals.

"Actually, I think not," Cor replied. "The last one with royalty is Lucis."

"Then, what do other cities do? If I'm the last king, does that mean I control them?"

"I should say not," Aranea replied quickly. "You try that, and you will make the other lands mad."

"But, it's not like they have kings of their own," Lux replied, genuinely confused.

Cor, Aranea, and Iris looked to Belenus. What was he teaching him?

"So, Belenus," Cor asked seemingly affably, but with purpose behind it, "what's your background? What brought you to Galdin Quay? Before you met Lux you…" he trailed off leadingly.

Belenus laughed. "Oh I'm just a humble tourist who happened to bump into Noctis's son. Since I was at loose ends, I took it upon myself to bring him home."

"I wish I had your job," Aranea said, with a subtle bite in her tone. "I could use a vacation that lasts that long."

"It's no problem at all. I'm what you would call an 'adventurer' in my spare time."

"I'm an adventurer too," Iris piped up brightly. "I'm a hunter most of the time. Are you a hunter?"

Belenus shuddered. "Alas no. Combat is not my thing, I'm afraid. I have nothing but the highest respect for hunters. They are so strong and brave." He gave Iris an admiring look, making it obvious that there was only one hunter he thought of in those terms. Iris looked away.

It was like pulling teeth trying to get any answers out of him, Aranea thought. "So, you are an adventurer, but not a hunter. Care to elaborate," she asked.

"Oh, enough about me. I think Lux is learning his kingly duties very quickly, don't you agree?"

* * *

"I swear, if it couldn't start a diplomatic incident, I would punch that asshole's face in," Aranea told Cor in frustration. "We had a whole dinner with that guy and he wouldn't give us a straight answer. I'm telling you he can't be trusted."

Cor looked around his conference room sharply, to ensure they weren't being overheard.

"As leader here, I need to remain wary but not openly distrustful," he replied.

"Like Regis during the supposed peace treaty," Iris cut in.

Cor's face tightened, but he nodded.

"Lux seems very misguided in what it means to be King," Aranea observed next.

"Yes. I have had attendants try to teach him, but Belenus just keeps taking over," Cor said.

"He needs a full time tutor," Iris stated.

"Yes, he does. And I think you would be a good candidate for it," Cor told her.

"Me? I'm no good with kids."

"But you grew up with Noctis. You know how a potential king should behave while still being allowed to be a child. You can guide him without too much pressure."

"That would put Iris into Belenus's path," Aranea stated with concern. "We've all the seen the way he treats you, Iris. It could be dangerous."

Iris shrugged. "That flowery fop? I can hold my own against him. I can fight back. I'm a hunter after all. And besides, the fact that he 'likes' me may work out better. That means he will be more likely to let me hang around, even if he insists on teaching Lux himself."

"I don't like it," Aranea said. "But if you are ok with it, then it's your call. I'm going to Galdin Quay to see if I can get more info on these two. I will let you know what I find."

"Thanks, both of you," Cor said. "I owe you both."

* * *

"I've looked through hundreds of photos, and I keep coming up empty," Prompto complained to Luna in her study.

"Nothing," Luna asked.

"Nothing except for pictures of the garden upstairs and the royal wedding. It's weird. It's like anything prior to your wedding and coronation doesn't exist. That's proof itself, right?"

"I don't know. I think Noctis and Ignis would say it's circumstantial evidence. Without visual proof, we are sunk." Then she broke off in thought. She had a photo—one Noctis had given her at their wedding. It had sat on the arm of her throne. She had looked at it and wept. But why? What was it of?

"Give me a few minutes," she instructed Prompto, then dashed off to the royal bedchamber. She found the photo in her nightstand drawer. She studied it and stiffened. It was a picture of Noctis, Ignis, Gladio, and Prompto waving gang signs in the desert. And standing off to the side was an auburn-haired man.

There was a memory on the tip of her brain, but she couldn't reach it. She ran back to Prompto.

"Do you remember taking this," she demanded, waving the photo in front of his face.

He stared at it in surprise. "The Disc of Cauthess," he stated instinctively, then clammed up.

"You remember this one," Luna demanded.

Prompto's face fell. "No. I had it for a second, but now I forgot. The four of us are in it though. I'm not sure who the other guy is.

"Ardyn Izunia," the name popped into Luna's head at the same time she felt a searing pain in her side as though she had been stabbed. She must have blurted the name out loud—Prompto was staring at her in wide-eyed surprise.

"Wait! That guy is the dude in the dungeon," he asked.

"I, think so. I think we need to talk to him," Luna said.

"We should get Noct."

"I'll handle this. Once we get answers, I will loop in the others," Luna stated.

"I dunno. From what Noct says we can't get answers out of him."

"I'm going to try," was all Luna said in reply.

* * *

"Are you sure about this," Prompto cautioned Luna again as they reached the dungeons.

"Yes," Luna replied, seemingly for the thousandth time.

"You remember what Noctis said about doing things on your own," he cautioned.

Luna shrugged. "I'm not doing anything particularly dangerous. There are guards everywhere if Ardyn dares try anything. And besides, by his logic, I'm already dead, so there should be no danger."

"I dunno," Prompto said. "Want me to come in with you?"

"Wait here. I'll be fine," Luna said.

"Famous last words," Prompto muttered darkly.

One advantage of being queen was the guards let her in without question. With a brief flash of surprise, and a respectful bow, the guard on duty opened the cell door to let Luna in to see the prisoner.

Even with his disheveled appearance, Luna was able to identify him as the extra man in the photo—the proverbial ghost at the feast. He was lying on his cot, his arms behind his head as a makeshift pillow, staring at the ceiling. His eyes flickered to Luna, and he sat up in surprise.

"First his majesty comes to visit me, and now his fair bride? I am truly honored," Ardyn said mockingly. He looked the regal blonde woman up and down. "I must say you look a lot better than the last time I saw you."

Luna tensed, doing her best to keep revulsion out of her expression. "Seeing as the last time you saw me I was apparently dying, I would say I should be looking better," she replied tartly.

"Mere semantics," Ardyn taunted. "Now, what brings the Oracle to see little old me?"

She held up the photo. "You are in this. Where was this taken and when?"

Ardyn studied it intently. "Ah, yes. This would have been at the Coernix station near the Disc of Cauthess. It would have been just before your dear husband took on the Archean."

So his reply coincided with Prompto's instinctive one. It seemed they had the "where", Luna thought logically. Now she just needed the "when". Ardyn's response there was not as satisfactory.

"Now that is a bit confusing. Since in this chronology that never happened, time has no meaning. It would have been when Noct was, what, about 20 maybe? Then ten years passed, he got older, vanquished me, and saved the world…oh I say, have I lost you," he taunted.

"So, you are saying that we are now in an alternate timeline, where the one in the photo didn't happen?"

"Oh, it did," Ardyn replied darkly. "The Astrals just overwrote it for you to give you a happy ending."

"But not you," she asked.

"Of course not. They want me to remember it all. To experience any regrets for all eternity. Although," he added smugly, "I don't feel any. Do you want to know why?"

Luna was in no mood to encourage him. "Not particularly," she replied repressively.

Ardyn continued as though she had not responded. "Because, my dear, my motives were pure. Everything I did was to protect the world, even if you fools didn't see it."

"How can you say that," Luna demanded. "By your own admission you plunged the world into endless darkness and killed those trying to return the light!"

"You would need to remember crystal lore in order for it to make sense. Come back to me once you remember, and I will explain all," Ardyn oozed condescendingly.

Luna spun on her heel, ready to storm out in frustration, but as she had her hand on the door handle, she turned.

"How did you kill me," she asked.

Ardyn seemed nonplussed by the question for a moment. "I stabbed you in the side, and rather than heal yourself, you healed Noctis instead. If you weren't so selfless, you'd probably still be alive. Do call again," he commented brightly as Luna strode out of the cell, her calm façade masking the turmoil within.

* * *

 **I'm not sure how compliant this one will be with Episode Ignis by the way. I had the rough idea where I wanted to go just before the game came out, and it kind of messed with things. Still awesome expansion. I may borrow from bits of it, but I'm not sure if/how I can fit it in. We will see. Happy New Year everyone!**


	4. Chapter 4: Too Many Mysteries

**Happy 2018 to one and all! I had some more time to write over the holiday-too cold out my way to be out and about. Anyway, here's the next installment! Hope you like it!**

* * *

"Mind if I join you," Iris asked Belenus the next morning as he was getting ready to begin Lux's schooling for the day.

"Surely you have better things to do with your time than observe my young lord's schooling," Belenus replied cloyingly.

"As it happens I'm at loose ends. And I know what young kings are like—I grew up alongside Noctis. I may be able to help you get through to Lux if he starts losing focus."

Belenus shrugged unfazed. "Suit yourself. The more the merrier I say. And besides, it will be a good opportunity for me to get to know you better," he replied archly.

Iris flushed in embarrassment and led the way to the classroom.

If Belenus had something to hide, Iris reasoned, he would not have been willing to let her sit in. And as she listened in on his lectures, she had to concede that his teaching about history, geography, etc, was pretty basic. Why then was she getting the feeling that it was all for her benefit?

"Where's the Aranea lady," Lux asked, evidently losing interest in Belenus's boring, but mellifluous lecture on the animals of the Lucian desert.

"She had to return to her duties," Iris replied.

"Duty—tee—hee," Lux giggled at the old joke that any kid from 8 on up seemed to find hilarious. "But she's queen, or something. Doesn't she have other people to do stuff for her?"

"Part of being queen, or any kind of ruler, means you need to do some things for yourself," Iris replied. "If a king, or whatever, can't do things on his own, how can he expect to have the respect of his people? A ruler must lead his people, and not expect them to wait on him hand and foot."

"But, he's king," Lux replied naively. "Don't they have to do what he says or else?"

Iris froze, aghast. "You mean, ruling by fear? That is never right. What kind of ruler would you be if people hate and fear you?"

"Well said," Belenus cut in. "Being loved by the people is all well and good in peacetime. But how well does it work in a time of conflict? If you seem like a nice guy, it will make your enemies see you as a 'wuss' and make them think they can walk all over you. And how well can you do against them if you are 'nice' and not feared? I for one believe it is a blend of respect and fear that is required to be a good ruler."

Iris clenched her hands into fists in an effort to stay in control. She couldn't lose it in front of Lux, even if she wanted to punch Belenus in the face for what he just said. "Lux, why don't you go grab some fresh air. The weather is quite nice."

Lux brightened at the suggestion, but then his shoulders slumped as he turned to Belenus as if for permission.

"Go on, child," he said. "Come back in thirty minutes or so."

Lux ran out excitedly, muttering how he wished he had a ball or something to play with.

Belenus folded his arms and looked back to Iris expectantly.

"Now, what is it you wanted me alone for," he taunted with a suggestive edge that made Iris's skin crawl.

"How can you teach a kid that he should be feared? Are you trying to make him into a bully?"

"Certainly not! I am teaching him how to protect himself. Rulers have enemies at all times, and he needs to know how to handle them."

"He's only ten years old! Allow him some time to grow up first."

"I would dearly love to grant him that. However, I hesitate to bring it up, but didn't King Regis grant Noctis the same privilege? Not to defame anyone's memory, but I can't help but think that if Noctis had known of the evils of the world earlier, perhaps things would have been different."

Belenus's words while affably spoken, made Iris want to slap his face. How dare he insinuate that Regis made the wrong choice, or that Noctis was too naïve to deal with things until it was too late? However, his words had taken root. She remembered travelling with Noctis and his retinue. It had been more of a vacation than a quest to stop the evil. They had driven around Lucis, camped on the beach; Noctis had fished, and Ignis had made a gourmet meal out of the catch. Yes, they had encountered some monsters, but they had been oblivious to the true evil that faced them all.

She remembered Gladio griping about how Noctis needed to grow up and accept his calling. If Noctis had been bred to view the world with suspicion, would he have done so earlier? Would he have tumbled to the Empire's plans earlier? Could Insomnia have been spared? Would he and Luna, and Gladio still be alive?

She must have been silent with her thoughts for too long—Belenus was looking at her patiently. "Forgive me if I spoke out of turn," he replied gently, seemingly truly repentant.

Iris shook her head, and walked away.

* * *

Lux wandered aimlessly around the Citadel. He had not been able to find the way outside, and had been too shy to ask for help. He was the future king after all, so he should know his way around his own castle. By the time he reached the royal portrait gallery, he was ready to give up in frustration. The long corridor was lined with paintings, like a boring art museum, he thought. However, the first painting caught his attention. He saw a long-haired man riding a black chocobo, being revered by the populace. Well, he supposed it was the man being celebrated—the crowd wouldn't have come out to admire a chocobo no matter how cute it was. Confetti was raining down upon the man. Lux gazed at the painting in rapt attention. This is what he thought being a king was like.

He found himself studying the crowd in the painting—their faces were staring at the lone rider in, adoration. The people actually liked this guy, he realized. They weren't afraid of him. What had he done to make the people like him? Did he do something on his own, like Miss Iris had said the Aranea lady was doing? But then, why was Master Belenus telling Lux it was better to be feared?

He glanced down at the plaque to try to see who this guy was. It appeared to be scratched out. That was weird. He wondered why that was.

His confused thoughts were interrupted by footsteps behind him.

"Checking out the family photos, huh, Lux," Cor spoke heartily behind him.

"Yeah. They are pretty cool," Lux replied dutifully.

Cor craned his neck to examine the painting Lux was reviewing, studied it as though seeing it for the first time, then stiffened. "Let's check out the paintings of your dad and granddad. They are down at the end, and are pretty good likenesses of them," he said quickly, then took Lux's hand to guide him away from that first painting.

Cor seemed visibly upset. "Um, Cor Sir, did I, do something wrong," Lux asked nervously.

Cor collected himself. "Of course not, Lux," he replied brightly, too brightly to Lux's mind. "I just, um, wanted to show your more recent relatives."

Lux let himself be guided to the other, more boring pictures of Granddad Regis and Daddy Noctis. He surveyed the picture of Noctis. The young man was standing regally, but it seemed as though his expression was far away. Lux felt he would be looking the same way if he had to sit through a portrait. He'd be fidgeting, looking out the window, anything to fend off the boredom of just standing there. Had Noctis been the same?

"Mr. Cor," he asked, "am I, anything like Noctis?"

Cor was silent for a moment. "Parts of you are quite similar, but I think time will tell on that front. Ask me later, ok?"

Lux had to make do with that.

* * *

Galdin Quay had cleaned up nicely, Aranea observed. It looked much the same as it had ten years ago before the world had turned to darkness. All except for a wing on the back. It was evidently being rebuilt—the sounds of hammers blending in with the calm swish of the nearby ocean waves. Could this be where the fire had occurred, she wondered. She would know soon enough.

It helped that Aranea had an innate air of authority that always made people assume she was some type of official. She figured it was her black leather armor—it always looked intimidating to people. All she needed to do was ask the questions, and the manager cooperated.

"We think the fire started in one of the hotel rooms," she explained. "It's weird—I always thought the kitchen would go up first, but it pulled through ok."

"Do you know which room it started in," Aranea asked?

"Nah. It could have been one of several in that wing. It spread so fast that all the rooms in that wing went up. It could have been a lot worse though. Thank goodness that kid was here and could get the folks out so quickly."

This was the opening Aranea had been waiting for.

"Kid," she asked in all innocence.

"Yeah. We had this young boy staying here. He managed to alert everyone in the wing and risked his life to help those who got stuck. I don't know how he did it, but the folks he saved said it seemed as though he just 'appeared'. Terror warps people's perceptions though from what I hear."

"Was the boy a guest?"

"Yeah. He'd been staying here a few days with another guy. The guy seemed too young to be his father. Older brother maybe? Redheads aren't my type, but he was handsome enough that I might not have said no if he asked me out."

Aranea gritted her teeth. It sounded like Belenus. "Did they arrive together?"

"Yeah. Booked the room normally two days before the fire. They didn't even ask for a refund when they left—saying accidents happen. They were more understanding than I would have thought."

"Do you know where they were from?"

"No idea. It's not like we ask folks routinely. I mean, sometimes we do as small talk, but…"

It seemed that was all Aranea was going to get, but it was enough—enough to know Belenus had been lying through his teeth. No surprise really, she thought bitterly. But if they had just arrived here a short while ago, where had they been before that? And where could Lux have been for the past ten years? There weren't that many stable population hubs that had weathered the darkness, and she knew the leaders of most of them. If Lux had shown his crystal powers anywhere, it would have been noticed.

Holly in Lestallum would have said something before now had Lux been there. The same with Cindy in Hammerhead. Aranea herself would have noticed him in Tenebrae, and Iris would have at Cape Caem. There was no way he could have been in Insomnia. There were only a handful of places where her intel was thin: Altissia and Niflheim. She hoped it was just a misunderstanding and First Secretary Claustra would have all the info they needed on these two. If they were from Niflheim…things could be uglier than imagined.

* * *

Cor returned to the portrait gallery after returning Lux to Belenus and Iris's care. He had some thinking to do. He studied the first painting again. At first glance, he could see why Lux would have been interested. It depicted a celebration and had enough colors that it would catch a kid's eye. However, it was the man on the chocobo that drew his attention. He looked familiar—giving Cor the same sense of unease he had felt earlier. He glanced down at the scratched-out plaque. He could see Lucis Caelum at the end, which was expected, but the first name was hard to read. He reached out to the scratched-out name to try to feel it, like a visually impaired person reading braille.

He was able to feel the "A". Thank goodness for engraving, he thought. He felt along. He couldn't get the next couple, but the second to last one was definitely a "Y". Not that many names had that configuration. What did it spell? Cor gasped as his mind made the connection. The man in the painting's name was Ardyn Lucis Caelum. It, had to be another one, right? But this man did look like a younger version of the Ardyn who had attempted to destroy their world, and had almost succeeded.

No way! This painting would have been from 2000 years ago. There was no way he could be the same guy. If he were, then Cor would have to relinquish the "Immortal" moniker, as Ardyn clearly deserved it more.

That just raised further questions. If they were one in the same, how had Ardyn lasted for 2000 years? And did this mean Ardyn was related to Noctis somehow? And if Lux was related to Noctis…Cor needed to stay calm and logical. But it still felt like, an unseen threat that he had to deal with. But that was absurd. It didn't matter anyway. Ardyn was dead. Noctis had seen to it. Then, why was he still concerned?

* * *

"Master Belenus, can I, talk to you," Lux asked his mentor hesitantly as soon as Iris had gone off to bed.

"Of course! I am here for you, my young lord," Belenus replied in all seriousness.

"Is it, really right for a King to be feared rather than respected?"

"Ah. You are thinking about what Miss Iris said this morning," Belenus replied as though expecting the question.

"Yeah. It just seems, so much easier to have people like you. Having people scared of you all the time just seems, tough," Lux observed.

"Do you know what else is scary," Belenus asked insinuatingly. "Gralea."

Lux paled at the mere mention of that place. "If you don't grow stronger like your dad, Cor may grow suspicious of you. He may," Belenus continued in an alarmed whisper, "even decide to send you back there."

Lux's eyes widened in fear. "He, he wouldn't," he replied desperately.

"He is 'King' for now. He can do whatever he wants. If you want to make sure he doesn't, you have to step up and become King. Make him afraid of you. So scared that he won't even think of doing that."

"But, I…"

"It is not as tough as you think. And I will always be here to help, just as I did in Galdin Quay."

"But, that fire could have, hurt people," Lux replied uncertainly.

Belenus gave a serene smile. "If your powers weren't up to snuff, certainly. But I knew you had the powers of the crystal in you. I knew you would do just fine. You forget, you're not the only one with 'gifts'." So saying, Belenus allowed small flames to flicker out of his palms. Lux watched fascinated.

"Just use the powers of the crystal and accept my help, and you will never need to go to Gralea again," Belenus replied smoothly. "I will see to it that you never have to go back, ever. I promise."

"Pinky promise," Lux asked hesitantly.

In answer, Belenus held his little finger out to hook around his ward's.

To Lux that was more binding than a legal contract. He was so glad he had a protector that would never let him go back to that awful place, and went to bed, misgivings temporarily forgotten.

* * *

"So, you found a photo," Noctis asked Luna and Prompto.

"I'll say," Prompto replied smugly. "And we already asked Ardyn about…oh, uh, nevermind."

Noctis, Ignis, and Gladio turned as one to face Luna.

"What did you guys do," Noctis asked, a dangerous edge to his tone.

"It's not like I wanted to! It was Luna's idea," Prompto replied defensive and flustered.

"Hiding behind a woman's skirts does not become you, Prompto," Ignis replied sternly, his cold condemnation enough to make Prompto flush with shame.

Noctis was more focused on Luna. She would not let Noctis make her feel guilty. However, she had to admit that his gaze, smoldering with banked anger, was making her uneasy. Still, she would not let him intimidate her. He may be King of Insomnia, but he was still the awkward boy she had fallen in love with at heart.

"I know what you are going to say, dear," she said coolly in an effort to stave off any unpleasantness in front of the others. "If I didn't think could handle it, I wouldn't have done it. But I wanted answers, and I got them."

"What kind of answers," he asked her, only partially mollified. "I was only able to get half-truths and madness out of that guy."

She repeated everything she had heard, including what he had said about how she died. Noctis's hands clenched in fury.

"I'm glad that son of a bitch is locked away," Gladio said gruffly.

"As much as I don't want to give that man the benefit of the doubt," Ignis said. "If what he says is even remotely true, then there is an extra timeline out there where we communed with Titan, defeated Ardyn, and saved the world. May I see the photo?"

Luna handed it over. He adjusted his glasses to get a better view, then studied the photo as if it held all the mysteries of the universe—perhaps it did. "I, don't remember any of this," he replied in frustrated resignation.

"Hand it over here," Noctis asked. "Let's see if I can make heads or tails out of it."

Ignis complied, and Noctis studied the photo as intently as Ignis. Then he suddenly cried out, clutched his head, and collapsed to his knees, obviously in terrible pain.

"Noctis," Luna exclaimed, kneeling down to hold him, her hands glowing with healing light in an effort to provide first aid. It did no good. Noctis collapsed in her arms in an ungainly heap.

"Noct," Prompto replied in horror. "Please don't be dead, dude."

Ignis ignored him, kneeling down to take Noctis's pulse. "He is, just unconscious," he said in relief.

"What the hell is wrong with him," Gladio exclaimed.

"I, don't know," Ignis replied. "But we need to get him somewhere more comfortable. Gladio, can you do the honors?"

Gladio gruffly and silently reached over to relieve Luna of Noctis's weight.

"To your room," he asked Luna.

"I, think that would be best," she replied still in shock.

The Royal Retinue carried their now incapacitated leader to the royal bedchamber, now sickroom.

* * *

 **Bits of Episode Ignis are making their way in-hope they don't serve as spoilers to anyone who hasn't played it yet. This story is more a "mystery" than an "action/adventure" right now. Hope it is not boring people-I need to build up to epic action somehow ;-) Anyways, till next time! The 3 "F's" (Follows, Faves, Feedback) are always appreciated.**


	5. Chapter 5: Playing with Fire

**Hi Everyone! I was planning to post the next chapter later this week, but work is shaping up to be quite busy. Since I have a lull right now, I figured I'd post now. Sorry if I'm flooding with too much story. Anyway, hope you enjoy! Follows/Favs/Feedback/theories on where you think it may be going are appreciated as always.**

* * *

Cor hadn't heard from Aranea lately. He hoped it was because she was busy digging up information. However, the silence wasn't sitting well with him. He had suspicions swirling around on his own, but he couldn't prove anything. He also had to step warily. If he rose too much of a stink about Lux, it could cause the populace to think Cor was trying to discredit Lux because Cor was jealous of his own position. He was already hearing whispers that the people were wondering why Lux's coronation was being delayed. If he sent out too many investigative units to look into him, it could blow up in Cor's face and make things even uglier.

And he wouldn't put it past Belenus to exploit that. He wished he could toss the guy out, but then, Lux seemed oddly dependent on him. And for all that Cor was suspicious of Lux, he was still a child. He did not want to alarm him. The phrase "keep your enemies closer" came to mind. And it was a dangerous game that all too often ended with the "keeper" dead. He wondered if this was how King Regis had felt during the peace negotiations with Niflheim a decade ago. He had to hope he could live up to the "Immortal" title and make it through.

He shook his head. Just because Belenus was shifty didn't mean he was out to kill him. Or that he was strong enough to do so. Cor was stuck with watchful waiting, rebuilding the town while always watching his back, and waiting for an axe to fall.

* * *

Iris was tired of waiting. She had been listening into as many lectures from Belenus as she could, but she wasn't getting information that way. She had to talk to Lux, alone. However, Belenus was always around like a mother hen. There would be no easy way to get Lux alone, and the attempt might also freak Lux out.

And getting Belenus alone—her soul shriveled at the thought. Still, if it would work, she would be willing to try it. However, he had a knack for deflecting questions, and oozing out subtle poison—his "hints" about Noctis being still be alive if he had been less sheltered as a child still haunted her, and made her wonder. No—getting him alone would be a terrible idea.

However, maybe his room would hold some clues? It would be easy enough to take a look while he was teaching Lux—she would have hours in there to herself. Maybe looking at his personal effects would yield something? She was being an idiot—Aranea was out wandering the land, risking who knows what to dig up info and she was down to checking a guy's room? What an amateur, she thought. But then thoughts of her brother popped into her mind. If he had thought it necessary, he would have done it. Or if he didn't Ignis sure as hell would have. As absurd as it seemed, it was simple enough to do, and if it yielded something, then it would all be worth it.

* * *

"Believe me, if I had had a relative of Noctis staying within my borders, I would have known and reported," First Secretary Claustra firmly told Aranea.

The years had not been kind to the First Minister of Altissia. Her once blonde hair had turned gray, and her trademark peacock blue suit that she had always worn was designed for somebody younger. It made her look like someone playing dress up, or an old woman trying and failing to look younger.

Aranea sized her up, seeing if she could be trusted. Claustra had always been hard to read—she seemed to have the best interests of her city at heart, from what Aranea could tell. However, she was the type that would play both sides or manipulate events if she thought there was a benefit to her people. Her "careful neutrality" between Niflheim and Lucis attested to that. Aranea knew full well that sacrifices did need to be made for the greater good, sometimes, but Claustra seemed to genuinely enjoy manipulating others rather than viewing it as a necessary evil.

Claustra must have sensed her suspicions. She continued, "Whatever you may think of me, know that we were united against a common threat. You can be sure I would have shared any information I had if Lux or Belenus were staying within Altissia."

"I believe you," Aranea said finally. "Over the past ten years, we had no way of knowing when (or if) Noctis would return to fix things. If you had known of someone in the wings with his same powers, I am giving you credit for thinking you would have shared that information with us long before now."

"I am glad we are in agreement," Claustra replied coolly. "However, that begs the question: if they have been unknown to us all for this long, where did they come from? And is this child really Noctis's son?"

"The only place left is Niflheim," Aranea replied. "That is the one place we all stayed away from for the past ten years. Too many daemons."

"But, how could a young child have survived that long in that environment," Claustra asked. "You can't hide from daemons alone for that long."

"I, don't know," Aranea replied. "However, we can't ignore it."

"If you are going to investigate, I will be happy to offer you some of my intelligence units to assist you," Claustra graciously offered.

"I appreciate the offer, but I can handle this myself," Aranea replied firmly. "With as fishy as things seem, I personally think they would be better served here."

Claustra looked at her in respect. "You truly are a worthy leader, Minister Highwind. I am glad we have never crossed paths as enemies. Should you change your mind about needing help, call me, and I will offer whatever assistance I can provide."

Aranea nodded in acknowledgement, and resigned herself to having to revisit the place she never wanted to go back to. She wondered what Gralea was like these days.

* * *

"What is the matter? Are you unwell," Belenus asked Iris sharply in the middle of his lecture with Lux the next day.

Very good, Iris thought smugly. It had just taken a bit of leaning forward, and clutching at her head to convey that she was ill; and Belenus was perceptive enough to catch it on his own. She didn't have to lay that much groundwork after all.

"It's, my head," she said, as weakly as she could make it. "I, fear I have a migraine."

Belenus winced. "I hear those are immensely painful. You have my sympathies," he replied pleasantly. "I really must insist that you go lie down."

"What is a, my…grain," Lux asked.

"I shall explain to you once I make sure Iris is settled. Come, madam, I shall escort you to your room," Belenus said, rising to offer his arm.

This was not part of the plan, Iris thought with quick panic. She didn't need him escorting her anywhere, much less her quarters.

"No, I'm fine. I, mean, I can get there myself. And I wouldn't want to take away from Lux's lessons."

"It is really no trouble at all," Belenus said, advancing towards her. "And besides, Lux could use the break."

Lux looked hopeful for a moment, as though he had been granted a reprieve.

"Really, I insist," Iris stated firmly.

Belenus halted his advance, to her immense relief. "Very well, if you insist," he replied. "Back to work Lux," he called out to the boy who was already making his way out of the classroom. Lux stopped suddenly, as though caught stealing a cookie, and turned, almost fearfully back to his guardian.

"Ok," Lux subsided in resignation.

Iris felt a twinge of guilt for depriving the boy of some time off, but she didn't need Belenus's effusive solicitude. Especially since she didn't think it was genuine. Well, it would be worse it if was, she thought with a shudder.

But the way was clear—she had built herself an excuse to snoop around his room. If she stopped to second guess herself, she would never do it, but there was the one slim hope that she would find something, anything, to hint at who Belenus really was.

There were no servants around this wing this time of day, so she made it to his door without questions. His door wasn't even locked, which made her wonder if she would find anything. It was a generic guest room that had been tidied for the day—if he let cleaners in, then did he really have anything to hide? Was she wasting her time?

There was an armoire at one end—she decided she would start there. These doors were locked. Ah ha! Now she was getting somewhere. She knew how to pick locks—she had picked it up in the ten years of darkness—lots of supplies were stashed away in trunks and required picking or destroying locks to get at them. Picking had been much more efficient, even if Gladio had thought it was simpler to just hack away at one to get what he needed. The tiny lock of an armoire gave her no trouble.

She found his clothes hanging neatly—his green cape in prime of place. He seemed to favor darker reds and greens for his clothing, most likely to flatter his coloring, and she had to admit, they worked. Feeling like a total creep, she rummaged through the pockets to find nothing interesting, then made her way to the drawers underneath.

Upon seeing folded underwear in the first drawer, she closed it, reflexively. The very thought of going through it made her feel dirty. However, it crossed her mind that if you were hiding something, you might put it in there, banking on the fact that someone would be too fastidious to look there. She took a deep breath, recited to herself that she was doing this for Insomnia, opened the drawer, and poked around. She hoped she would find out more than if he were a boxers or briefs man (boxers apparently, not that she wanted to know) and found a book at the bottom of the drawer.

A book hidden beneath someone's underwear indicated something that someone didn't want you to see. She braced herself, expecting to see something vulgar, when to her surprise it was _Eos Cosmology_. Why would he have a book about the Astrals?

She flipped through the book, indeed it was legit—it wasn't just the cover hiding something illicit. The book opened naturally to the section about Shiva, as though it were a frequently reviewed chapter. She was so focused on the book and what it could mean that she didn't hear the door open, or detect the man approaching until she felt the body heat right behind her. She turned, sharply to see Belenus standing right before her, far too closely.

"So glad to see you recovered, Miss Iris," Belenus commented smoothly, but with a dangerous edge to his tone.

She had been caught, red-handed. How the hell was she going to talk her way out of this?

* * *

"Noct has been out for two days," Ignis said in concern.

"I know. And my healing light isn't doing anything for it," Luna replied in quiet desperation. "I don't know what to do."

"Should we call in another doctor," Prompto asked.

"If we do that, it will alert the populace that the King is in bad shape, and could cause a lot of problems," Gladio replied cautiously.

"Does it matter," Prompto replied. "I mean, if it heals him and all…"

"It's worth a try," Luna said, but her thoughts were elsewhere. Ignis was looking at her suspiciously.

"What is it," he asked her firmly.

She looked up, guiltily. "It, it's nothing."

"If you have anything relevant to the conversation, it behooves you to share it," Ignis replied affably, but with a sharp edge indicating that he wouldn't let this go.

"I, can't say it's relevant, but I have faith in my powers. If I cannot heal Noctis, then, there is a major force behind it. By all means, get another doctor in here, but, as much as I wish it would happen, I don't think another doctor will be able to do it."

"Then what do you suggest," Gladio asked.

"Everything keeps coming back to the Astrals. Ardyn said they wiped our memory; they would be the only ones strong enough to make Noctis like this. I need to talk to them, find out what they know."

"From what I understand, that can be a dangerous proposition," Igins replied coolly.

"It doesn't matter. I mean, I'm already dead."

"So is Noct, according to our dubious source, and look at him," Ignis replied gently.

Luna glanced at her beloved, helpless in his bed, eyes closed to the world around him. "I won't let the Astrals stay silent," Luna said firmly. "And if they did this, they will pay. You guys stay with Noctis, take care of the Kingdom. I will take care of this."

"Not happening," Gladio said firmly. "I'm not letting the Queen of Insomnia go off on her own. And besides, do you really think Noct would let you, or us, if he could?"

"But, someone needs to rule in his stead, protect him," Luna said.

"As Prime Minister, I am best equipped to do that," Ignis stated. "Gladio, you and and Prompto escort Her Majesty to wherever she wishes to go. I shall keep an eye on things here, and on Noct."

"How about the prisoner," Gladio asked firmly. "If he gets wind of Noct's incapacitation, he may try to cause trouble."

Ignis gave a level look. "I believe I can handle him if necessary," Ignis stated, pure fact.

With that, there was nothing left to do but move forward.

* * *

Iris was wracking her brain, trying to come up with something, anything, to explain to Belenus why she was snooping in his armoire. He was standing far too close to her, his sherry-colored eyes appraising her.

"You know," he spoke affably. "When a man finds an attractive woman in his bedchamber, he might be excused for thinking it is ok to," he leaned closer and spoke insinuatingly "take 'liberties' with her."

Dammit, she thought. She had to defuse this, and quickly.

"So you think a woman rummaging through your things means she is in love with you," Iris asked scathingly.

Belenus smirked but backed away a few steps. "You tell me," was all he said.

Well at least he had given her some space. She used it to make even more, and moved to a more open area of the room where she could not be cornered again.

An idea came to her—it was farfetched, but it may work. "You caught me," she said. "One of the maids accidentally shrunk your cape during the last washing. She was terrified of getting in trouble, so I decided to help her. We wanted to get you a replacement. I just, needed to find the size, and we would go from there. I'm, really sorry to deceive you, and for the inconvenience," Iris replied, as genuinely repentant as she could make it.

Belenus looked nonplused for a moment. Did he believe her?

"And you were rifling through my underwear because…" he asked tauntingly.

"I-I was doing a quick verification to make sure the maid didn't shrink any other laundry," she replied. "I was checking the other drawers too. I, just happened to be doing that one last."

Yay me, she thought. She was making up something plausible. Weird, but plausible.

"And, is there additional damage," he asked.

"No. It is just the cape, but even it looks ok actually. It helps that it's one size fits all I think," she said brightly. "Sorry. It won't happen again," she added, edging her way towards the door.

He made it there first, and stood leaning against it nonchalantly. "If you think you can dig up anything incriminating against me, you are gravely mistaken," he said smugly. "I am just a humble traveler devoted to Lux's well-being. Feel free to tell Cor that the more he investigates me, the stronger the theory will be that he is trying to discredit Lux to keep himself in power. I'm sure you don't want Cor to be called a usurper, do you," he asked smoothly.

"Cor had nothing to do with this," Iris replied defensively.

"Indeed? Well if I catch you in here again, I will take it as an 'invitation' and proceed accordingly," he responded with a suggestive smirk.

As Iris recoiled, he opened the door for her to let her pass. As she passed him, he murmured, "don't underestimate me. I'm more powerful than you think." And with that, she fled, totally unnerved.

Belenus locked his bedroom door as soon as Iris left. He would have to keep things more secure from now on. His instincts had been right about her feigning her illness. It hadn't taken a genius to figure out why. That meddling little bitch, he thought with blazing anger. She was ruining everything! It would be so much easier if he could just raze Insomnia to the ground and be done with it!

But then Lux wouldn't like that. And he needed Lux, for now. The crystal would answer to him, and only him. The crystal was the key to his goal—he had made a mistake last time. He had thought Ardyn's revenge upon it would destroy everything, but he had been wrong. Belenus needed to work with the crystal, not against it to get what he wanted.

His blood boiled when thinking about that oily bastard—the man had lied to him and betrayed him. He had led him on with false promises, only to stab him in the back. Just thinking about him made him want to kill someone—preferably that smug Cor. When would he just give Lux his due and make him king already?

Still—one thing he had learned from that fool Ardyn was to how to hide one's true intentions behind a mask. No one, not even he, had guessed Ardyn's true intentions until it was too late. He would wear his mask of Belenus Arawn, adventurer/traveler just a little longer. Then when Lux was ready, they would destroy everything. And Belenus would smite Cor with his own hands. And as for Iris—she would die too, but he would make her pay dearly for her snooping first.

He glanced down at the _Eos Cosmology_ book still in his hands. The painting of Shiva stared back at him seemingly reproachfully. "What are you looking at," he snarled, then returned the book back to its hiding place.

* * *

 **Till next time everyone. And thanks for reading!**


	6. Chapter 6: Glimpses of Truth

**Howdy Everyone! Here's the next "shortish" chapter. This will have Episode Ignis spoilers in it (fair warning). Although, I am assuming that if you like Final Fantasy 15 enough to read fanfic about it, you have probably played Episode Ignis already (or know what happens in it) ;-) In case I'm wrong, you've been warned. Thanks as always for the views and comments! I love hearing where folks think it is going :)**

* * *

"Well, this looks like the photo," Prompto said, looking around the Coernix station near the Disc of Cauthess.

"Looks like it," Gladio agreed. "So what do we do now?"

"This is the only lead we have," Luna stated. "I should be able to get to Titan from here."

"And we're sure Titan will want to talk to you," Gladio asked.

"I will make him do so," Luna said, grimly.

"Well, he is an earth God," Prompto commented in trepidation.

"If we believe Ardyn, then it stands to reason that I have already spoken to him once. If I did so once, I can do it again."

"That's another thing. Why are we thinking Ardyn holds the truth? From what I can tell that guy wouldn't know the truth if he sat in it," Gladio replied.

"What else do we have to go on," Luna asked. "His description of the photo was accurate, and what he says does explain the weirdness. And, the pain I felt when I first saw him in the photo matched how he told me I, died. It lines up."

"You felt pain when you reviewed the photo too, like Noct" Gladio asked sharply.

"Oh, I didn't mention it," she asked offhandedly.

"I just hope Noct is ok with all this when he wakes up," Gladio said, resignedly.

"I, hope with all of my heart that he will," Luna said, voice nearly breaking. "I'd rather face his anger 1000 times than lose him forever." She broke off—unable to speak further.

Prompto patted her shoulder awkwardly. "Noct will wake up soon. I know it," he said bracingly. "The Disc of Cauthess is that way, right?"

* * *

Even though light had returned to the world, Niflheim was still dark and dreary. For all that the populace was flooding back into the other cities like Insomnia and Altissia, Niflheim was still abandoned. It was a relic of a dictatorship—a history nobody wanted to claim.

Where should Aranea start looking for answers about Lux and Belenus? Was Lux really just a mundane child living with his mother until her untimely death? Aranea bet not. She still seriously doubted that Lux was Noctis's. Noctis was not the "one night stand" type, and that would have been the only thing he would have had time to do ten years ago. Admittedly, that was purely an assumption, but Aranea's instincts had held her in good stead so far. And those instincts were screaming that Lux could not be Noctis's.

But then, who was he? There was no denying that he could control the crystal, a feat only a Lucian Royal could do. And Noctis was the only one who fit the bill. Unless…

It hit her like a punch in the gut. Verstael. He played God (or Devil) with genetics. She and Prompto had seen it with their own eyes at the Magitek Production Facility near Ghorovas Rift. What if he had gotten hold of Noctis's DNA somehow? Could he have created Lux? As crazy as that thought was, it made more sense to her than Noctis having a kid naturally. But it just raised further questions. There would have been no way Lux could have hidden his powers for very long. How could he have been kept from Ardyn? Ardyn would have wanted the Royal Family dead, and Lux would have been an obstacle to that. Why would Ardyn have kept him alive if he knew about him?

Still she had a lead, and would follow it wherever it led. She would start there and see where it went.

* * *

"Forgive me for bothering you, Sir Ignis, but I fear we may have a problem."

"What kind of problem," Ignis asked the guard warily.

"It's, the prisoner in the basement, sir. He has asked to speak to His Majesty."

"Why does he think he can make a demand of that nature," Ignis asked coolly.

"I know. He's a prisoner. He should be lucky he gets to talk to a lawyer let alone His Majesty. However, he said, some potentially problematic things that I thought you should be aware of."

Ignis tensed but encouraged the guard to continue.

He said he heard some 'unsettling rumors' about His Majesty, and wanted to see with his own eyes that King Noctis is ok. He said he is quite concerned for his well-being.

"Have any of the guards spoken about Noct's—His Majesty's illness around him?"

The guard's shoulders slumped. "I, don't know. Maybe?"

If they had, then Ardyn was indeed being problematic. And what's worse, not having Noctis visit him would just confirm those suspicions, and could leave Ardyn open to creating trouble for them all. Ignis raked his hand through his hair in uncharacteristic frustration.

"I shall see him in Noctis's stead," Ignis said resolutely, then strode down the stairs to the dungeons.

Ardyn was just as unkempt as ever, but his amber eyes were ever alert as he sized up his visitor.

"Well if it isn't Noctis's Majordomo. Or is it Prime Minister now," Ardyn greeted effusively, but the underlying scorn was quite evident.

"I am Prime Minister. And as such, His Majesty has decreed that I meet with you in his stead."

Ardyn smirked. "That's not what I heard," Ardyn said coyly. "Really, if you wanted to keep Noct's 'illness' a secret, you should not have guards so close to me. They do like to gossip after all. So, tell me," Ardyn suddenly added intently. "What is wrong with him?"

"Do you really think I will tell you," Ignis asked coolly.

"I will just make something up then," Ardyn mocked. "Let's see…little Noct fell down the stairs and skinned his knee."

"If you are attempting to goad me into replying, you will fail," Ignis said, coldly resolute.

Ardyn subsided, knowing when he had someone who wouldn't play ball with him, at least the way he wanted him to. "Still protecting Noct, as usual," he continued. "Doesn't it get old? I mean, you already went blind for him, and he doesn't even remember your sacrifice."

"What do you mean?"

"After Noct gained the Hydrean's power, you were so misguided that you thought I meant harm to your King. You even used the powers of the Ring of the Lucii to fight against me. I lost interest in the fight, you lost your sight, and here we are. But, of course, you have no memory of that big, heroic moment on your part. What a shame," Ardyn added nastily.

Ring of the Lucii—blind…memory returned to Ignis with searing intensity—Noctis lying unconscious on the rainy slab, Luna dead beside him. Ardyn having the guards pin Ignis down, forcing him to watch while Ardyn prepared to stab Noctis. Ignis being so powerless to save Noct—he had to protect him—the searing pain of the ring, the flood of power, then his eyes closing but other senses opening…

"You lie," Ignis spat. "You were harming Noct. You were intending to kill him!"

Ardyn gave a triumphant smirk. "So, you memory has returned? Congratulations. The question is, what will you do with that knowledge?"

Ignis couldn't face all of this right now. He needed to think. He turned and strode away.

* * *

"It sure is hot in here," Prompto observed, taking stock of the volcanic cave around them.

"Quit stating the obvious and keep walking," Gladio snapped back, not taking the heat well, either.

"You know, you guys don't have to do this. You can stay by the entrance…" Luna commented quietly in an attempt to diffuse the conversation.

"We've had this discussion before. Not happening," Gladio replied brusquely.

"Woah! Look at that stalactite over there! I sure wish I brought my camera," Prompto replied.

"Um. I think that one is a stalagmite," Luna volunteered.

"Really! What is the difference," Prompto asked.

"One hangs from the ceiling, one comes up from the floor," Gladio volunteered.

"Both are part of my domain," a deep, resonating voice volunteered from the open space ahead.

The trio made their way forward to come face to face with the Archean, Titan.

"Woah! He's huge," Prompto volunteered.

Gladio sized up the giant, bald, burly being, and evidently thought him a threat. His hand tightened on his sword.

"Titan. Lord of the Mountain. I have come to speak to you," Luna intoned.

"What do you want, woman,"he snapped back repressively.

"I was here before, wasn't I? Why don't I remember it?"

Titan stiffened, which was a confirmation in and of itself. "I do not know what you are talking about," he replied.

"Astrals should not lie," Luna replied boldly. "Tell me the truth."

Titan sighed—a resonating sound that echoed across the whole volcanic crater. "Astrals lie when they must. If humans knew what we knew, your kind would shatter like glass."

"So, you admit to lying," Luna riposted, a twinge of satisfaction in her tone.

"I admit nothing," Titan contradicted defensively.

"You, just kind of did, dude," Prompto added hesitantly.

Gladio had enough of the verbal fencing. He drew his sword, ready to use it. "See this sword here," he said. "It has 'Earthshatter' capabilities. I'd be happy to test its power against an Earth God. Will you tell us what we want to know, or do I need to try it?"

Prompto and Luna looked at him appalled. "Wait! Gladio," Luna exclaimed.

It was too late. Titan's gigantic fists crashed down, ready to crush all three of them.

Gladio was ready, and slashed Titan's hands with all his might. It was enough to get him to draw back, giving them a temporary reprieve. They ran to the tunnel they entered through, just for Titan to slam his hand across it, blocking it.

"We have to fight," Luna said.

"But, how," Prompto exclaimed.

"You shoot, I stab, Luna shields," Gladio said sharply, then rushed over to stab Titan's exposed hand.

Prompto drew his gun, and began firing.

Luna looked at her comrades, then back to Titan. Even with Gladio's giant sword, there was no way they were taking a giant of Titan's size down. Unless they had a little help.

"Stand back," she ordered, then launched the strongest, brightest light spell she knew and aimed it right at Titan's gaze. He was not prepared for such bright light, even more so since he lived in a cave and rarely saw the light of day. He roared and used his hand to cover his eyes. The way out was clear. The trio turned as one to get the hell out of there.

"Wait," Titan demanded.

"No way," Prompto said, and continued high tailing it down the corridor.

Luna obeyed Titan's command, and turned back his way.

"Why do you seek to fight? Don't you want eternal peace," Titan asked her.

"I won't be at peace until I know what is real and what isn't," Luna spoke firmly.

"Your existence now is real. Is that not enough," he asked her.

"It might have been. Except I have seen enough cracks in the mirror. Just enough that I can no longer be content with what I have. I have seen glimpses of another reality. One that I must remember, to understand."

"That reality is painful. Why do you want it," he asked her.

"I don't care if it's painful. I, just need to know," Luna replied simply.

Titan glanced to Gladio and Prompto, who had sheepishly returned to Luna's side. They nodded in agreement.

Titan rubbed his bald head contemplatively.

"I can give you back your pasts. Just to the point where you first communed with me, Oracle. And when you two first defeated me," he said glancing at Gladio and Prompto. "In order to piece together the rest, you must commune with the other Astrals, and hope you can convince them to return your memories. Once I give you back your memories, you should be able to remember where to find them. But know this: humans are not meant to know alternate timelines. Your fragile minds may not be able to handle what I give you."

"What do you mean," Prompto asked.

"I mean your mind may shatter. And if it does, you will be absorbed into the void, where all lost souls go."

Prompto looked to the others. "Should we really do this? I mean, our existence is not so bad and all."

"It is your decision, both of you," Luna replied. "However, I need to know. I cannot abide the fact that I have been here, and elsewhere, and have no memory of it. I need to know who I really am. I for one have to do this."

"Same here," Gladio said. "I'm strong enough to weather it."

Prompto thought for a moment. "Well, we may have saved the world once. It sucks that we have no memory of doing something that awesome. I'm in."

They turned back to Titan, and nodded.

"Very well," he intoned. "Now, close your eyes. And remember…"

* * *

Iris wandered through the decayed garden terrace of the Citadel. It was traditionally the Queen's job to maintain it, but obviously, there was no Queen. The empty planters and brown plants saddened her. The last time she had been through here it was with Noctis. They had stood in the shade of a potted wisteria tree and watched the city below. Now the wisteria tree was a nest of twigs—a skeleton of what it had once been.

She honestly didn't know if she missed Gladio or Noctis more. They had both been close to her in different ways. And she still didn't know if she had seen Noctis as another brother, or as something else. She had certainly not been in love with him—she had been way too young to know or understand what that was. But, had she held childish infatuation? She still didn't know.

Just like she didn't know how to handle Belenus. She should not have been caught snooping. She should have held her ground better and weathered his innuendos with aplomb. Instead, she had been just as flustered as a naïve girl being flirted with for the first time. But then again, nobody had ever flirted with her before, let alone that brazenly. It was not like he actually cared about her—he was just doing it to make her uncomfortable, and it had worked. He had won that round. And as long as she kept avoiding him, he would keep winning.

She needed another tactic—another way of finding out about him. She needed some viable evidence to go back to Cor with. However, her mind was blank.

She heard some rustling and realized she wasn't alone up here. She walked further down the corridor to see Lux standing at the railing, dropping shredded leaves over the edge. He was watching their descent as though it was the most interesting thing in the world.

He looked over to her, startled.

"Is, Master Belenus with you," he asked Iris fearfully.

"No. I don't know where he is. Do you?"

Lux shook his head. "I, was supposed to be doing my homework on my own, but I will do it later, honest. You won't tell him, will you?"

"Your secret is safe with me," she assured him.

His shoulders relaxed in relief.

They stood side by side in awkward silence for a few minutes. Lux kept pulling leaves and shredding them in his hands. Iris gently pulled off a dead leaf, and tossed it over the side.

"If we each toss a leaf down at the same time, whose do you think will reach the ground first," Iris asked conversationally.

"I dunno. It seems like they just blow away, anyway. I'm not sure if they ever land," he said. "I've been watching to see if one goes straight down, but they never do."

"It's rare for things to go as expected," Iris said. "You always think something will go straight on, but it diverts somewhere along the way. You can't predict it, or control its path."

"Not even as king," Lux asked her.

"Not even kings can control everything," she reiterated.

He glanced at the plant he was mutilating. "Why are all the plants dead," he asked.

"Because nobody has taken care of them."

"Oh. Well, what if we put new plants in?"

Iris thought about the farm she had left at Cape Caem. Talcott was taking care of it now. "I know of some plants that could use a home," she said. "Why don't I bring some over, then you can take care of them? This terrace will be your kingdom."

Lux brightened, then deflated. "But, I don't know how to take care of plants. I would, just kill them," he said sadly.

"I will help you. How is that? We'll give the plants a good home, and make sure they are happy."

"I'd, like that," Lux said shyly. "You, don't think Belenus will be mad?"

"How could he be? You will be learning about nature—it will be just like school except you will be outside, getting fresh air, and doing things rather than hearing about them."

Lux beamed. "That's awesome! What kind of plants are they?"

Iris told him about the farm, and all the crops. He listened in rapt attention, absorbing more from her in that simple conversation than he had in days's worth of Master Belenus's lectures.

Teacher and student didn't notice Belenus surveying them through the nearest bank of windows, jaw clenched in frustration.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading, as always! Till next time.**


	7. Chapter 7: Behind the Mask

**Hi Everyone! I know it's a bit early for an update, but I've had a rough couple of days, so have been trying to cheer myself up by getting more writing done-not that what I have written is "cheery", but it has made me feel better :-) Just a heads up, you are going to get some creepy stuff in this chapter. Hope it's not too disturbing. As always, hope you like where things are headed and thanks for reading!**

* * *

The Magitek Production facility had not fared well with ten years of neglect. The once shiny metal walls were tarnished and rusted from the endless snows. The snow had melted now in the sunlight—leaving a marshy, muddy mire in its wake. The power had given out long ago, leaving Aranea to rely on a flashlight to navigate the long, cold, narrow hallways. She tensed around every corner, expecting to see a daemon in the dark—old habits died hard.

She only had vague memories of where to go—and it had been lighted in those days. Still, she remembered Verstael's lab had been towards the middle. After quite a few wrong turns, she entered a large room lined with windows showcasing rusting robotic hulks. This had to be it. She had hopes that there would be paper notes or a hard copy library, but all she saw was a dated mainframe. A mainframe in a place with no power. Damn! She was trapped in this cold, broken-heatered, dark room with annoying blinking lights everywhere…

Wait! Blinking lights! She examined the lights along the wall—they represented data banks, and were evidently still on. Could it be that the lightbulbs were burnt out—not that the power was off? She wandered back to the mainframe, and for grins, hit the power button. To her surprise, it booted up. How the heck did this place have power after ten years of neglect and not paying the electrical bill? She wished she had a power company that forgiving, she thought wryly.

But this left her with another problem? How did she log in? It's not like she was a computer hacker or knew the right passwords. Assuming this was Verstael's lab, and his computer, what would he have picked? From what she remembered, he was so scatterbrained and focused on his research that he would not have remembered a complex one, let alone changed it frequently. She doubted it would be his birthday—she'd be amazed if he had even remembered he had one. She was also guessing that if he was on a roll with his research, the last thing he'd want to do was waste time typing in a password when he had notes to enter. With that in mind, she took a shot in the dark and typed in "0000".

 _Error: password must be at least 8 characters including at least one number._

Feeling like a moron, she typed in "00000000".

The computer thought for a moment. She braced herself for an access denied or an alarm going off, or the computer exploding. What she got was: _Welcome ScienceGodVerstael_

Holy crap! She was in? That was too lucky, she thought, and warily looked around for enemies or traps. The room was just as it was. Could it really be as simple as that? Anyway, now it was time to randomly browse files until she found something that may be of interest. She would be here awhile, and she had to hope the electricity held.

* * *

Ignis's mind was still reeling, the memories flooding his brain until he thought he would have a nervous breakdown. He was sitting in his office, just staring at the wall, waiting for the torrent to cease. But they kept coming. The worst ones were the ones after he was blinded—he did not have any visual memory of these—just auditory impressions and his other senses—smell, taste, touch. He began wondering if the wall he was presently staring at was actually there—or if he was actually blind and just seeing with his mind.

A mind that he was no longer trusting. He had always been coolly analytical, but this. He felt the closest to panic as he ever had in his life. Except maybe right before he donned the Ring of the Lucii. He had to calm down, proceed logically. He looked around, sharply, and saw that he did see other parts of his office. The desk was where it always was—or was it? He had never been Prime Minister in the first place. Was this even his desk? His office? Could he actually see?

The two timelines were blending, becoming one. Which came first? Which was real? Ignis Scientia, the bastion of logic and reason, had to reconcile two concurrent contradictory timelines before he was driven mad.

* * *

Aranea's hands were so cold that they were becoming numb—she clicked the mouse and keyboard with fumbling fingers in increased desperation. She was getting quite a bit of information about Project Barbarus and Diamond Weapon—more than she needed to know, but not much on anything else. Was she on a wild goose chase?

She was past hoping she would find anything, but sheer stubbornness was keeping her going—she skimmed all the files she could find, reading mechanically at this point. When she found an entry about daemon genomes, she almost went to the next entry. However, she found herself curious. She read on, becoming even colder and more disturbed as she read.

 _Entry 1: Through our magitek troopers, we have determined that it is possible to mix daemon and human DNA to create a unique being. However, these beings look more like daemon than human. The daemon genes are just too dominant. They are useless for covert operations since they stand out too much. Imagine if we had human-looking beings with the powers of daemons—the possibilities are endless! Infiltration, assassination, the world would be our oyster! I hypothesize if we use the daemon genome as our base and add enough human DNA to the mix to dilute it, then we could obtain such a being. I shall begin experiments at once._

 _Entry 2: Entry 2: Our esteemed emperor has granted me unlimited funding for just such an activity. I shall utilize imp DNA as my base—as these are the weakest daemons, it stands to reason that they should be easily engulfed by human DNA while still offering the possibilities of daemons. As for human DNA, I shall attempt with my infant clones as usual._

What followed was a whole list of "infant A—failure, infant B—failure", complete with photos. Aranea counted herself a hardened warrior, but even she was appalled and disgusted at what she was seeing. But she was committed to the horror now. She felt she owed it to these victims to make sure that Verstael failed in the end. She had to know.

 _Entry 10: I must conclude that using my clones to engulf daemon DNA is unsuccessful. While they do retain human form, they only live for ten minutes after the infusion. The cells are not cooperating with each other. It is so unfair! How is that bastard of an Ardyn Izunia able to have so much daemon within him and retain human form? I MUST obtain a sample of his DNA to see what makes it unique. But, how to go about it? He cannot know what we are planning. He knows too much as it is. Even if the Emperor trusts him implicitly, I do not. While he has been invaluable with my research so far, even I know he has ulterior motives for doing so. I must proceed carefully._

 _Entry 11: I have done it! Who knew simply going to lunch with Ardyn and pilfering his used teacup would get me what I sought! After assessing his DNA, I can see several unique genetic markers that are absent in my genome (and in any other humans's I have studied). Could these be the key to human-looking daemons?_

Aranea's jaw clenched. She didn't like where this was going. It seemed like Verstael was onto something, which was never a good sign—look at what had happened with Diamond Weapon. She read on.

 _Entry 12: Success! Using Ardyn's DNA sample, I have created a human/daemon hybrid that keeps its human form and survives! However, it looks too much like Ardyn—this will never do. He will catch on, and if I have to see his ugly mug every day, I would be driven mad. I shall eliminate this sample and try again. Perhaps adding other human DNA to the mix now will prove viable._

 _Entry 13: His Esteemed Emperor has decreed that my experiment is viable enough to be scaled up at the Zegnautus Keep facility under code name Project Lux. I shall continue my research there._

"Project Lux"—Aranea didn't believe in coincidences—Lux had to be involved in this somehow. Maybe Belenus too. She did a frantic search for anything else "Project Lux" related in the database, but there was nothing. It seemed like she had to get to Gralea next. Hopefully Zegnautus Keep still had power, and heat. She shivered, partially with cold, and partially with horror. The fact that she had served the Empire in any capacity now made her sick. She had known they had harvested daemons, but had not known what for. She should have found out—she should have done something. But the pay had been too good, and it had taken far too long for her to grow a conscience.

If she had done more sooner, would the infant clones have had to have gone through what Verstael put them through? Even though the "eliminated" sample Verstael referenced had looked like Ardyn, it had still been a child. And she had been a party to it by her inaction. She stopped herself. She may have failed then, but she would get to the bottom of it now. Sometimes offering closure was all you could do.

* * *

Aranea was never so grateful for her car heater in her life. She hopped into her car and immediately called Cor. The fact that he answered so quickly despite how busy he was told her he was thirsty for news.

"Cor, listen to me carefully. I don't have all the information yet, but I have reason to believe that Lux is related to Ardyn Izunia."

There was stunned silence on the other end for a moment.

"Can you say that again?"

She repeated. "The Empire was playing around with genetics. They harvested some of Ardyn's DNA behind his back to create partial clones. They were fusing daemon DNA with humans to create human-looking daemon weapons."

"So, you are saying Lux is part Ardyn, part daemon," Cor asked intently.

"Maybe even part Noctis too. I, don't know how else Lux could control the crystal. I'm off to Gralea to get more info. I, don't know what this means. I mean, he is technically offspring of Noctis but…"

"Maybe not," Cor said darkly.

"What do you mean," Aranea asked.

"Let me know what else you find."

"You need to delay the coronation more—"

"There will be no coronation," Cor said. "Even if it makes me look like I'm jealous of my own position. Report what you find in Gralea."

Then Cor hung up.

"No coronation, huh," Belenus commented from the doorway of Cor's council room. He was leaning indolently against the doorframe, but the burning fury in his eyes was palpable.

"Enough games, Belenus," Cor demanded. "Lux is related to Ardyn Lucis Caelum, not Noctis, right?"

Belenus slow clapped. "Very good! I took you for all brawn and no brains. But it won't do you any good. Nobody else will ever know." And so saying, Belenus relinquished his human form, becoming the Infernian himself.

"I, Ifrit," Cor gasped in surprise.

"Didn't see that one coming, did you," Ifrit mocked in an inhuman guttural snarl. Then he launched a wall of fire straight at Cor. Cor dodged at the last minute, but the wooden conference room table wasn't so lucky. It ignited like tinder, leaving a wall of flame between Cor and Ifrit.

Ifrit sauntered through the flames as Cor struggled to his feet.

"They call you Cor the Immortal. Do they not," Ifrit sneered. "How dare these petty humans attribute divine terms to you!"

"Divine terms, huh," Cor replied coldly. "The way I hear it, Astrals aren't immortal either. Wasn't the Empire able to kill Shiva?"

Ifrit hissed and rage and lunged. Cor tensed for combat. He knew he would have to earn his title of Cor the Immortal today. But could he really survive against a God?

* * *

Noctis was falling through the darkness—he was in an abyss without end, seemingly plummeting forever. However, through the abyss, he caught flashes, glimpses of events that he felt he should remember. He saw himself taking on the Archean, running for his life from crumbling stones and nearly falling to his death in a volcanic crater. He saw the Hydrean, rearing up to toss him into the ocean. He saw the crystal drawing him in—he even felt himself trying to resist the pull but being powerless to do so. He felt grief and loss as though his beloved had died. He felt righteous anger, as though his kingdom had been stolen and he had to take it back. He saw Ardyn on the throne, his throne, staring back at him smugly, daring him to do his worst.

He couldn't take the frenetic pace of these visions—they were flooding his mind with contradictions, things that made no sense logically but felt right, interspersed with things that were logically correct but didn't feel real. He was falling, losing himself, and knew he was dead.

His movement stopped. He was still in a pitch black void, but it was no longer a pit—it was now a pitch black room that he had landed in, flat on his face. He looked up to see gigantic boots at his eye level.

"You didn't like the peace I gave you," a deep inhuman voice resonated above him.

Noctis leapt awkwardly but quickly to his feet and took in the being before him.

"Bahamut," he breathed, taking in the helmeted, winged being looming above him.

"So, you remember," the lead Astral commented.

"What the hell is going on," Noctis demanded.

"Why didn't you just leave your existence alone? Why did you have to pry into your past," he asked him.

"Why did you have to change my past," Noctis countered.

"Because you deserved it," Bahamut replied. "You had to sacrifice everything, your father, your bride, your kingdom, your friends, ten years of your life plus, in the end, your own life, to return light to the world. We Astrals could do nothing to stop it. It was all you. All we could do was give your afterlife peace, and give you what you should have had if there was no darkness, no Ardyn."

"So, Ardyn was right? We are all dead?"

"You should not have dealt with him. He is in an endless prison that he can never hope to escape from. Meeting him just gave him a source of entertainment and allowed him to feed you doubts. Doubts that made you learn the truth."

"So, I am dead, then? Does that mean, Luna, Ignis, Gladio, Prompto, Ravus are dead too?"

Bahamut nodded. "You all gave your lives to return light to the world," Bahamut replied gravely.

Noctis blinked, absorbing what he had been suspecting was true all along. "Is it such a problem that I went to Ardyn to get the truth," he asked. "I would much rather remember what I did than the sham of a life you gave me."

Bahamut looked startled. "You are not grateful for the eternal peace we gave you?"

Noctis stopped. "I, understand what you were trying to do. I think you were trying to help. However, I would rather have had that peace in life. I would rather have been able to spend my life alongside my friends and Luna in the human world, and not here. I do not want every one of us here together because we all died. I would rather have been here first, alone, while the others lived out their normal lives in peace, and finally see them when their lives reached a natural end. All of that being said, I would rather my afterlife be a continuation of the journey I made in life. I, I'm not sure how that works, or how this place works, but I would prefer that."

"So, you really want to return to the land of the living," Bahamut asked.

"Well, yeah. But, I suppose everyone here does," Noctis said.

"Most find peace very quickly when they arrive. The fact that you have not tells me the crystal is still calling you."

"What?"

"I'm an Astral. Can't you just believe me?"

"Not really. You guys have played too many games with me."

Bahamut sighed. "I suppose you're right. The crystal is tied to the fate of the world, as you already know. It has the power of light, and can vanquish all evil. It is immensely powerful, and only your blood-line can effectively wield it."

"So what happens now? I was the last one who could, right?"

"Yes and no. There is another out there, who can wield its power. But I sense the crystal's resistance to doing so. It knows it must, but it rails against it. It wants you back."

Noctis just shrugged. "I wanted my dad back too. In both existences," he couldn't help saying.

Bahamut rolled his eyes behind his helmet. "The crystal does not operate that way. It wants you back because it senses a great evil is still out there endangering it."

"Who? Who else can wield the crystal?"

"Lux Lucis Caelum, offspring of Ardyn Lucis Caelum."

* * *

As strong as Gladio physically was, even he was winded after having to carry an unconscious Prompto out of the Disc of Cauthess. Was Prompto unable to handle the flood of memories Titan had given? Even Gladio was shaken—it was only his focus on getting Prompto and Luna to safety that was keeping him sane. He would need to absorb the rest slowly. However, one memory was sticking out. Iris! He had a sister! Was she trapped in this illusion with them somewhere? Where was she?

One step at a time. He just had to focus on Prompto right now, depositing him in the backseat of the car to give him room to stretch out.

"Will you, be ok to drive," Luna asked Gladio.

"I have to be," he said gruffly.

Luna had been stone silent since Titan had given them parts of their memories back. The fact that she was thinking practically like him gave him hope that she was not shattered by the knowledge they had been given. That just left Prompto…and Iris…

"Can you, handle what Titan gave you," Gladio asked her sharply after starting the car and speeding away from the volcano as quickly as possible.

"I was an Oracle," Luna replied in awe. "I did use my powers. I was able to escape Insomnia after the Empire's attack and make it here. I have all the training needed to restore light to the world. Perhaps we did manage to save it after all."

"Meanwhile, I was unable to save King Regis. He didn't die of old age—he was struck down by the Empire," Gladio replied, teeth clenched in frustration.

"But, you, Prompto, and Ignis got Noctis to safety. You left some hope for the world."

Gladio just grunted—it was nowhere near enough in his mind—he should have been able to save both Regis and Noctis.

"Can you really keep going down this path," Gladio asked Luna intently. "If we are believing Ardyn, this is a path that kills you in the end. Can you really relive that? And what happens to this existence if you remember your own death?"

Luna was pensive for a moment. "I, hadn't thought of that. Perhaps we can ask Ramuh that question."

Gladio sighed. "I assume that means you want to keep going?"

Luna nodded. "I don't ask you to go with me. We will take Prompto to Lestallum, and you can stay with him until he recovers."

"We will _all_ rest up in Lestallum a bit," Gladio said firmly. "Titan took a lot out of all of us. If Prompto is still out, then, we will cross that bridge if we have to."

"You're right," Luna said. "Perhaps, once I get some rest, I will be able to heal him too. But if he's like Noctis…" she trailed off in despair.

"I, hate to bring it up, but Ravus is in the thick of this too, apparently," Gladio commented.

"Oh my goodness! You're right," Luna exclaimed. "That must mean he…how can I tell him all of this?"

"Perhaps he can meet us in Lestallum? If we give the facts as we know it so far, it may help things," Gladio replied, thinking out loud.

"It's worth a try," Luna replied. "I will call him."

* * *

 **So...lots of reveals this chapter. But are things as they seem? Stay tuned to find out, and let me know what you think ;-)**


	8. Chapter 8: Hellfire

**Hey There! Rough week ahead-lots of personal life stuff popping up, so not sure when I will be able to publish/write again. In the meantime, here is my humble offering (with more action this time). Thanks for reading, as always.**

* * *

Ignis was losing it. He couldn't balance the memories he was being given—and everything around him was a lie. He was not Prime Minster, there was no kingdom to manage. He was dead, and nothing mattered. But no, that wasn't right. Noct was still unconscious, the guards were worried sick, and Prompto, Luna, and Gladio were out there facing down Astrals. Those parts were real, right?

There was nobody else who knew both timelines, save one. But what the hell was he thinking? There was no way he could trust him. But he couldn't handle this alone. He was already going mad. What harm would it do to talk to another madman about the madness? It was not like Ardyn Izunia was any worse than what he was facing right now.

So, questioning his sanity, but moving forward, Ignis returned to the dungeons to Ardyn's cell. Ardyn had evidently been sound asleep. He sat up suddenly, as though rudely awakened, adjusted his rumpled clothes as best he could, then turned to face the disturbance.

He shook his head to clear it. "What are you doing here," he asked in genuine surprise, and caught off-guard.

"I believe everything you have said is the truth. I want to know everything."

"And you expect me to just tell you," Ardyn snarked back.

"Why not? You have all eternity, as do I. If I have to live through two separate timelines I'd rather know what I'm dealing with."

Ardyn looked at him with respect. "I'm so flattered that you chose to believe me. I confess, it's a rarity to have people trust me. Something in my nature I suppose. I can give you a few minutes of my time. What do you wish to know?"

"You told Luna that you were trying to save the world, not destroy it. What did you mean by that?"

"Ah. That. Since you believe everything I've said is true, do you believe that too?"

"Explain what you meant, and I shall draw my own conclusions," Ignis said coldly.

"I assume you know all about the crystal?"

Ignis searched his ragged memories. "I know that only Kings of Lucis can wield its power. I know it took in Noct against his will but granted him the powers to destroy you, at the cost of his own life. I know that you stole it."

"I did not steal it. That was purely Emperor Aldercapt's doing. He merely wanted a prize. And there was no better prize than the most valued possession of the Kings of Lucis."

"You helped him steal it," Ignis replied.

Ardyn merely shrugged. "It made no difference to me whether the crystal stayed in Insomnia or went to Gralea. I knew that the Empire couldn't control it anyway. Only the Lucis bloodline could. Well, they or the Six."

"Wait! You are saying the Astrals can control it?"

Ardyn sighed. "For all you protected the guardian of the crystal, you really know nothing about crystal lore, do you?"

"Enlighten me," Ignis said calmly, not rising to his bait.

"Do you really want this story? It is long and boring."

"I've got the rest of eternity, as do you. Tell it."

* * *

Cor's conference room had become an inferno—he was glad he had taken Aranea's call alone. If Ifrit/Belenus had confronted him with his council of advisors present, it would have been a massacre.

Cor had his sword drawn to keep Ifrit at a distance. However, he seriously doubted its usefulness. All he could do right now was keep his distance and try to find an opening.

Ifrit lunged forward, his flaming hand raised to launch yet another attack. Cor was running out of room—the flames were spreading at an alarming rate, blocking off more and more of the room. If the fire spread much further—the entire Citadel could burn.

"Enough of this," Cor demanded, a twinge of begging in his tone that he didn't like. "If you keep going like this, what do you think will happen to Lux and his castle?"

Ifrit's hand stilled, as though considering the implications of what Cor just said. He lowered his upraised hand.

"So, you finally concede the throne to Lux," Ifrit commented.

"If it will stay your hand and save the lives of everyone else in this building, then yes," Cor conceded, face twisted as though he was betraying all he held dear.

"That's all I needed to hear," Ifrit said, smugly. "However, don't think for one moment that will save you," he added darkly, Cor's only warning. Ifrit's flaming hand slammed down with brutal force, pinning Cor to the floor. Cor felt as though a flaming roof had collapsed on him—he was not strong enough to escape. He wheezed through burning failing lungs. He knew the truth. Cor the Immortal was indeed mortal, and slain at the hands of a God.

* * *

Lestallum was just as Luna and Gladio remembered, sultry, vibrant, teeming with almost as much activity as Insomnia. However, which memories were they remembering? What was the "real" Lestallum? At least it was hot in both memories, Gladio thought in relief. He was standing out in the heat, with Prompto's unconscious and heavy body slung over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes while he waited for Luna to finish her pit stop in the nearby convenience store. Nobody had noticed him and his burden yet, but then Lestallum was a live and let live kind of town.

Gladio was nervous, no terrified, that he would find Iris here. His memory told him Iris had fled here after the attack on Insomnia. If she was "here" then that would mean…

"If I were a threat, you would be dead by now," came a hard, cultured voice behind him. He turned sharply to see Ravus, Prince of Tenebrae, standing behind him, well within range of a blade. The arrogant blonde was right—Gladio had been effectively caught off guard. And if Ravus had meant him harm, and if he wasn't already dead, he would have been killed now, as would Prompto.

Gladio and Ravus sized each other up—they may both be acquainted with Luna, but that didn't mean they were friends. To Ravus, Gladio was big and boorish—just look at that sword, he thought scathingly. It was so big and heavy as to be impractical. Evidently this 'gentleman' (he used the term generously) lacked finesse in his fighting, relying on pure strength that would prove his undoing.

Gladio was doing his best to respect Ravus for Luna's sake, but this guy's snooty arrogance always set his teeth on edge. Even now it felt like he was being judged, assessed as a speck of dust, and dismissed accordingly. He hadn't seen Ravus since Noctis's wedding, and he was wishing that he didn't have to see him again now.

"Ravus," Luna exclaimed, after running out of the store. "I didn't expect you to get here so quickly!"

"When I hear my sister is meeting with the Astrals and that the King of Insomnia is currently out of commission, you can expect a rapid response," Ravus replied coldly.

"Shh, not so loud about Noctis," Luna whispered. "We, need to keep quiet on that."

Ravus merely shrugged. "Let's get out of this heat. I have bespoken rooms at the Levelle for us," he replied.

Gladio had to respect his efficiency, if nothing else. Luna had called him from the car just after they left the Disc of Cauthess—he had not only beaten them to Lestallum, but had had time to get them hotel rooms. He was, a lot like Iggy, Gladio thought. Well, if Iggy were an arrogant asshole. But, the Levelle—that's where Iris was staying, according to his new memories. If she was there…

At least the Levelle was air conditioned, and gave Gladio a place to drop off Prompto. He supposed he should be more concerned about Prompto than he was. However, he remembered Prompto had been knocked unconscious at the drop of a hat in their last battle with Titan (the one in the recently revised memories) so this wasn't unusual. He was more worried about Iris right now. After depositing Prompto onto one of the beds, he made his way back downstairs to see if he could track down Iris, half hoping, half fearing he would find her.

Luna glanced at Prompto—she couldn't tell if he was sleeping or unconscious. She tried manifesting some healing light, but it was a struggle. She knew she needed sleep before she could even begin to help him. She looked at Ravus. For being dead, he was none the worse for wear, but then again, they all looked normal. He looked the same as he always had. His white armor was pristine, his blonde hair expertly coiffed. Except, he didn't have a bionic arm she realized. He should have that. Had the Astrals rewritten that too? How the heck was she going to explain this to him?

"What's wrong with him," Ravus asked her. "Did the Archean do that?"

"Yes. Noctis is, much the same way."

"What's going on," he asked her sharply. "What are you hiding from me?"

"I'm not hiding anything, brother" she replied, mechanically.

Ravus rolled his eyes. "You don't have the knack for intrigue, sister. You've always been the same, whether it was 'borrowing' one of my toys or navigating the intricacies of politics, you could never hide your true intentions. You're just too transparent. I'm somewhat glad Noctis is the one who married you—he is just as honest as you are."

Luna bit her lip. If he remembered what really happened in Insomnia, he would not be saying that.

"Tell me, sis. Why did you meet the Archean? You brought me here—the least you can do is get to the point."

Luna sighed. There was no point in trying to sugarcoat it. That was one thing about her brother—he always cut through the flowery language to get to the cold facts beneath. She told him everything. He was silent through the whole recitation. She had no idea what he was thinking.

"So. You are saying we are actually dead and trapped in some illusory afterlife," he asked when she was finished with her tale.

Luna nodded, bracing herself for some scathing comments about her being some kind of idiot.

Ravus looked back to Prompto, then back to her.

"I, have actually been wondering if something was wrong. It's difficult to explain," he said finally. "It, always felt like I was not actually the rightful ruler of Tenebrae. Like I was standing in for someone who had yet to appear." He rubbed his left arm as though it pained him. Luna looked at it sharply.

"It's nothing, sister," he said. "My left arm has been paining me lately, but it's nothing to worry about."

"But it is! In the other reality, you lost that arm!" Then Luna covered her mouth, as though she had said too much.

Ravus stiffened, and glanced at his arm again. "What happened to me in this other reality," he asked. "How did I die?"

"I, don't know. I am going to the other Astrals to attempt to find all of it out. If you want the truth, you are welcome to join me. It, it is not without risk. Your mind may not be able to handle it. I, fear, that may be what happened to Prompto. I'm praying not. If you decide that you are content with the status quo, then you are welcome to it. However, I am going on."

Ravus pondered a moment. "You are putting yourself into danger. It is my duty as your elder brother to protect you, even save you from yourself if I must. There is no question of me not going," he stated firmly.

Luna sighed impatiently. "I didn't ask for your protection! I am stronger than you know, brother. I can handle myself."

"Allow me to be the judge of that. Besides, even if you don't think you need me, Noctis would have my head if I let anything happen to you. If there is one person's whose wrath I fear, it is King Noctis's."

"But, why? He's the nicest noblest…"

"Spare me, sister. I don't need to hear ad nauseum how wonderful you think he is. I, just know he has more powers than even you realize. Don't ask me why—I just know. Accept the fact you are stuck with me, and move on."

Even if his overprotectiveness set her teeth on edge, Luna had to accept the fact that she had a fourth person on her journey—one whose past and future were just as enmeshed in this as hers.

* * *

Ifrit stared down in bitter triumph at what was left of Cor. He had done what he always wanted—killed that arrogant bastard.

"Not so immortal now, are you," he mocked. It wouldn't do to have the building burn down, so with a flick of his wrists, he undid the inferno—all of the flames receded back into his being. The only remaining evidence was the scorched table, and the charred corpse of Cor at his feet.

"Wha, what happened," a plaintive childish voice called out behind him. Ifrit turned to face Lux, who was staring at the fallen body in horror. He glanced up at Ifrit, willing him to have a logical explanation.

Lux had seen Ifrit as himself before, but it always made Lux uneasy. Ifrit couldn't scare the kid, at least, not yet. Ifrit sighed, and returned to his human form with an effort. He was growing tired of this vessel, but he still needed it, for now. "Forgive me, Master Lux. But I overheard Cor plotting to send you back to Gralea. I fear he didn't believe you were Noctis's son. I had to do something drastic for your own protection."

"You, you hurt him," Lux asked in shock.

"It is as I said. In order to stand up for yourself as king, you need to be able to do horrible things sometimes. In this case, I did it for you. You did not need to sully your hands with this. The path to the throne is clear, and you need never return to Gralea again."

Lux frantically looked between Cor and Belenus. Whatever he would have said was drowned out by a horrified gasp at the doorway. Iris was staring at the tableau, eyes wide with horror.

Wonderful, Belenus thought. Another witness to deal with. And the lovely Iris at that. His lips twisted into a predatory smile as he calculated what to do with his prey.

* * *

Iris had to touch base with Cor, immediately. Aranea had just called her with the bombshell news about Lux, and she had to meet with Cor to find out what to do next. They were indeed in a dicey spot—if Lux did have any Noctis DNA in him, he was technically still Noctis's heir. Even if the rest was a mix of Ardyn and daemon. She thought back on Lux and her interactions with him, desperately looking for clues on Lux's origins. If he was part daemon and part Ardyn, she couldn't see it. In any case, Cor would know what to do.

She smelled the burning from all the way down the hall. She rushed forward to Cor's office, just to see Belenus and Lux staring down at a blackened form. With a jolt, she realized it was a body.

"Cor," she gasped out, tentatively, hoping that he would respond from another corner of the room. In her heart of hearts, she knew Cor was the one lying on the floor.

Her eyes lifted to Belenus's, who was staring at her with a feral grin. She was a hunter, she thought in desperation. She should be able to fight back. But her gun was locked away in her room. And what could she do against somebody strong enough to kill Cor? She remembered Belenus's words to her in his room, "don't underestimate me. I'm more powerful than you think." He had been right. It was time for fight or flight, and she couldn't fight. So the answer was obvious. She turned and ran in blind terror down the hall-not even thinking about where to go, just starting with away from him.

Belenus was faster. She could hear his pounding running footsteps getting louder and closer. She was winded, panting with exertion and terror. She needed all her strength and endurance to get away from him. She needed enough of a head start where she could get out of his sight so she could hide. There—if she could just get around the corner and into one of the offices she could—he grabbed her just as she reached the corner, slamming her against the wall with his hand on her throat.

She stared up at Belenus's blazing eyes. She knew she was dead, and what was worse, she knew Belenus would enjoy every second of killing her.

"Don't hurt her," Lux begged, having caught up to them.

"She is going to betray you," Belenus said desperately. "I must handle this now, or she will stand in your way. Allow me to do my job."

"No! She's not like that! My first order as king is that you do not hurt her!"

Belenus's hand clenched on Iris's throat for a moment, causing a suffocating blackness to swirl before her eyes. Then he reflexively released her, shoving her to the ground. She sprawled out on her hands and knees, coughing from the sudden ability to breathe again.

"I have done as you asked, your Highness," Belenus said. "In exchange, you must do exactly as I ask."

"Yes, Master Belenus," Lux said tonelessly.

"Now, take your place on the throne," Belenus ordered. "I shall be there directly."

Lux gave him and Iris a concerned glance before hurrying to the elevators to do his bidding.

Iris was sprawled on the floor, doing her best to play dead. With luck Belenus would follow Lux and leave her alone so she could escape. However, she wasn't so lucky. She felt strong, hot hands grab her, and haul her to her feet. Belenus stood practically against her, his hands clutching her shoulders in a bruising grip.

"So, are you going to kill me after all," Iris asked. She wished her voice was stronger, but it was still hoarse from the previous attack.

"I so wish I could, you meddling bitch," he said, hot fury emanating from his voice that was more frightening than his subtle menace from earlier. "However, I made my bargain with Lux. I am bound by that promise." His eyes raked her face with an expression Iris couldn't identify, but it flat out terrified her.

"In fact," Belenus continued raggedly. "I think you owe me for my 'mercy'." And so saying he upped his brutality by kissing her roughly, not caring about any resistance or fear on her part. Belenus did not kiss her because he cared for her—it was angry hatred and lust at its lowest form. It was an assault, the same as nearly choking her to death earlier.

He still could choke the life out of her, Iris thought with sheer panic. She was completely overpowered by a fiend who wanted to make her suffer before he killed her. She felt her mind closing off from the horror around her—what he was attacking was just her shell. He could not harm her deep within the recesses of her mind, where she was going to hide from him.

Just before she completely receded, he released her, then shoved her into one of the offices, ironically one of the offices she had been thinking of hiding in. She backed away from him, nearly tripping over a chair in the process. "Get used to this," he said, gesturing around the office. "This will be the last room you ever see. I'll be back later." And with that he closed the door and left.

Iris plopped to the floor, hugging her knees. He said he was coming back, but for now she was left mercifully alone. She would take that for all it was worth.

* * *

 **Sorry for what happened-I'm not just throwing suffering around-I have my reasons ;-) That said, poor Ignis, Iris, and Cor. For those crying out "Character Death" about Cor, remember the nature of death in this story. Just putting that out there. I have a tiny bit left after this, but then I'm out of material, so may take a break to write more and get some personal stuff dealt with. Anyway-thanks a bunch and till next time!**


	9. Chapter 9: The Prisoner in the Basement

**Hey there! Hope you are still with me after what I did last chapter. Anyway here goes.**

* * *

After a good night's sleep, Luna was refreshed, and ready to heal Prompto, or at least attempt to. Her failure at being able to heal Noctis still haunted her. However, this had to be different. An Astral had knocked Prompto unconscious, and she had a bond with the Astrals. Her status as Oracle cemented that. She should be able to do it. But, what if his mind was gone? What if he was a shell of who he once was?

If she faced too many doubts, she would never do it. So, she approached Prompto's bedside, and summoned her healing light. To her relief, it shone sure and bright. At least she was well rested enough for this. She ran her hands over Prompto's head—that seemed to be the logical place to direct the light.

"If you need to touch Prompto elsewhere, I don't think he will mind as long as it wakes him up," Gladio reassured her.

Luna sighed. "I'm a healer. I will make contact wherever I need to to get the job done."

"Good. No time to be squeamish," Gladio said brusquely. He had not been able to find Iris last night, and the proprietor had never heard of her. For the moment, Gladio was guessing she was still alive, which gave him some hope.

After a few minutes of Prompto's "light treatment", his closed eyes began to twitch. His stupor became more restless.

"Do you think he is waking up," Ravus asked.

"I don't know," Luna replied, temporarily stopping her treatment.

A minute or so later, Prompto opened his eyes groggily.

"Luna, Gladio," he asked in surprise. "I had the craziest dream where—" he turned to see Ravus.

"Ooooh. It, wasn't a dream was it? We did take on Titan and start a world-saving quest, didn't we," he said.

Luna laughed in relief. "If it's a dream, then all of us have had the same one. I think that says Titan gave you your memories back."

"Yeah. I guess so. What are you doing here, Ravus? Uh, Prince Ravus?"

Ravus gave a put upon sigh at Prompto's gaffe. "I'm here to help Luna commune with the Astrals and to get my memories back as well."

"I think we need to see Ramuh next," Luna said. "He should be in Duscae."

"I'm ready when you are," Gladio said.

"We should let Prompto rest a bit first," Luna said. "He has only just woken up after all."

"Don't worry about me," Prompto said. "I've gotten plenty of rest it looks like. Besides, I can sleep in the car on the way."

"As long as it's not on my shoulder, that works for me," Ravus replied.

"Worried about getting your armor tarnished," Gladio mocked, giving his white armor a scathing look.

"Hmph," was all Ravus said.

With the quartet aligned on next steps, they set out for the next phase of their journey.

* * *

"Tell me," Ignis demanded of Ardyn again. He needed Ardyn to answer him, no matter what craziness came out of his mouth. Something, no matter how crazy, had to make sense.

Ardyn sighed, tossed his ratty mane back, cleared his throat, and began reciting to his bespectacled visitor.

"Once upon a time," Ardyn began mockingly, "Eos was created by the Six as their new home. Titan created the land, Leviathan the seas. Ramuh provided the storms to recycle the water and energy, and Ifrit and Shiva worked in harmony to maintain the balance of heat and coldness to keep it from becoming a barren waste. However, it still felt empty. Bahamut remedied this by adding the living things, including daemons."

"The Six quickly saw that daemons could not play nice with the other children, and flourished at night. They saw that humans ruled the daytime, and tended to be a bit, self-destructive, what with wars and whatnot. The Six knew that humans and daemons could not coexist, so knew one species had to be exterminated. And they created the crystal to do it."

"You mean, they built the crystal as a weapon," Ignis asked.

Ardyn nodded. "In their hands, the crystal is the ultimate weapon, capable of killing hundreds of thousands of humans or daemons at a time, if not more. It has infinite energy, and can cause any type of elemental disaster you can think of. And they would have used it on whomever they deemed unworthy."

"However," he continued. "The Six could not decide between human and daemon. Titan, Leviathan, and Ifrit hated humans, and thought they should be destroyed. Ramuh, Shiva, and Bahamut thought that daemons deserved to go. In the end, it was a stalemate, and they decided that both would coexist, and they would let the two species fight it out over time, and the victor would inherit the planet. The crystal was not used for its intended purpose."

"So, the Six were willing to sit back and watch us destroy each other," Ignis asked, surprised.

Ardyn chuckled. "Does that shock you? These are the same Six that made you fight them to gain their blessing, saw fit to kill your king in a bid to defeat me, and trapped you in an endless lie. Do you really think they would stop there?"

Ignis subsided—the fiend did have a point.

"Anyway," Ardyn continued patronizingly, as though he hadn't wanted to be interrupted. "All of this did not sit well with Ifrit. He hated humans, more so than any of the others. He wanted them destroyed. He would have used the crystal on them if he could, but only the Six together as a unit could wield it for that purpose."

"Two thousand years ago, he attempted to destroy humans on his own with the first starscourge. The people lived in terror, much as you did for ten years waiting for your King's return. However, the last one lasted generations. Light was becoming but a memory. I for one had had enough. My twin brother and I decided to fight back. We went on a pilgrimage, much like dear Luna did, to gain the Gods's blessings and beg them to stop it. In order to do so, they would have to slay one of their own, which did not sit well with them. They had no problem using my brother and myself as pawns in an attempt to dissuade him. They gave us the powers of the crystal with which to fight back."

"They gave that, awesome power, to humans," Ignis asked, shocked.

"Please," Ardyn responded bitingly. "If they had left that much power in the hands of humans, do you really think the planet would still exist at all? We would have destroyed ourselves long since. What they gave us is the powers you are familiar with—a toned-down subset of the crystal's powers. They figured that if Ifrit saw humans had the powers of Gods, he would be swayed from his course."

"However, not all powers are created equal. The crystal has the ability to take down humans and daemons alike after all. My brother obtained the powers of light, perfect for daemons and darkness. Whereas I obtained the powers of darkness designed to slay humans. Purely at the crystal's whim. If the dice had fallen another way, perhaps I would have had the power of light. Who knows?"

"Still, we worked together. My brother used the power of light much like Noct, and I used the powers of darkness—absorbing daemons into my being to eliminate them, healing those blighted by daemons. I endured years of that agony, stubbornly fighting against a God, for him to finally relent. He ended the starscourge of his own accord."

"But don't think for one moment that it was because he suddenly cared about humans. He just needed to change tactics. And had all eternity to come up with a plan B. I trust I'm not boring you," Ardyn asked Ignis in mock concern.

"Keep going," Ignis ordered.

"How do you know everything I have said thus far isn't a lie," Ardyn asked insinuatingly.

"I shall be the judge of that when you finish your tale," Ignis replied.

"Suit yourself," Ardyn replied coolly. "My brother and I were revered as heroes, and for a brief time we ruled together as joint kings. However, the crystal wasn't done with us. Since 'light' was dominant, the world didn't need someone with the powers of darkness. The crystal rejected me, viewing me as unclean, corrupt. I was no longer able to effectively wield the powers of the crystal, and would destroy the world if I tried. I became just another man, albeit one with the powers of daemons. I was no longer fit to rule, so my brother took the role of 'Founder King' and lived out his life as His Majesty, revered by all. I spent the rest of his natural life imprisoned—the crazy brother and potential world destroyer."

"Just as you are imprisoned now," Ignis said, appalled.

"I'm used it by now," Ardyn stated. "As the final insult, due to the powers I inherited, I could not die. I was immortal. I took the mantle of Ardyn Izunia, and watched empires rise and fall, the Lucis royal line grow and flourish—the crystal continuing to smile upon them while it ignored me. And I kept waiting for Ifrit to try again."

"With Niflheim so powerful, and beginning to harness the power of Astrals, I knew that Ifrit's fury would know no bounds if he were attacked by the Empire, and he would make his move. Furthermore, if all the Six were threatened, they would align with Ifrit, take control of the crystal, and destroy us all. I had to keep the Six divided so they could not use it. To that end, I saved Ifrit, protecting him from the Empire in an attempt to spare everyone his rage. I told him I wanted revenge on the crystal for it having slighted me, and would destroy it and so doing, destroy humanity, which was exactly what he wanted. He decided to ally with me. Using my powers of darkness, I even planned the return of the Starscourge as a show of good faith."

"Could you destroy the crystal," Ignis asked.

"What do you think," Ardyn asked scathingly. "If I could, I would have. It still shocks me that Ifrit believed me, but I think my daemon powers and immortality convinced Ifrit that I could do what I said. Anyway: in order to keep the rest of the Six on humanity's side, I knew the Oracle would have to fulfill her destiny by achieving the blessing of the Six. To force her hand, she would have to believe that darkness was inevitable. So, I helped the Empire attack Insomnia—don't give me that look. The Empire was going to attack anyway. I just 'helped' things along so that the fair lady Luna would come right to the thick of things and see the danger firsthand. I figured the tidbit about her needing to marry Noctis for the sake of peace would get her out of her fortress," Ardyn added smugly.

"She could have been killed," Ignis seethed. "And you did kill her in the end."

"If she did not follow the path I set for her, then she was no Oracle," Ardyn said philosophically. "She did quite well. However, she and Noct were still too immature in the end. After I saw how the Hydrean nearly killed them, I knew they were too weak to keep the Six (sans Ifrit) aligned with humans for very long. The Gods respect power after all. I concluded Noct and Luna were useless to the goal of keeping the Six divided, so I had to go with my plan B."

"Killing them," Ignis asked scathingly.

"Luna was dying anyway—it takes too much power to commune with the Six. And with how weak she was against Leviathan, she would have died before she even made it to Bahamut. I was merely being 'merciful' and giving her a quick end."

"I doubt Luna would agree with you," Ignis added coldly.

Ardyn shrugged. "Fine. I'm the villain. I killed Luna and tried to kill Noct because it's fun. There. Satisfied," Ardyn replied in put-upon tones.

Ignis glared at him. "It seems like you think you had another motive."

"I did. With nobody strong enough to control the 'light' part of the crystal, there was no human powerful enough to handle the crystal. Except for me. And I need darkness to reign to be able to do so. Luna and Noct, with the blessings of Six they had achieved, would have prevented that. So suddenly they were obstacles—too weak to do anything with their powers, but too strong to be totally ignored. So…I give you credit for figuring out the logical remedy to that."

"But you had to get in the way, 'Prime Majordomo'. When you used the Ring of the Lucii, a piece of the crystal, successfully, even though it blinded you, I concluded that there may be other stronger humans out there capable of wielding the crystal and the powers of light, if given enough inducement. So, I let Noct live, but put him through so much agony, forcing him to grow up, so he could become what he needed to be to wield the crystal properly."

"Then the crystal saw fit to take him away. There was no saying when or if Noct would return, so again we were back to the need for 'dark powers'. I needed daemons and darkness to reign to keep the crystal in my power and at bay, and to make Ifrit think I was in fact delivering on my promise to destroy all humans, while keeping his focus away from the crystal."

"The fact that Noct came back ten years later, and the only way to set things right was to kill me was an added bonus for me. There was finally a way to end my immortality. I did not anticipate Noct needing to end his life in exchange, but that's how the dice fell. And you four even took down Ifrit before doing so. Really you wrapped it all up nicely."

"At the expense of so many lives," Ignis said bitingly. "You think you are some kind of hero? Doing evil deeds for the greater good?"

Ardyn shrugged. "Well I'm trapped in an endless prison by the Gods now for what I did, so you should be relieved to know I got my 'comeuppance'. And I stand by what I did. Humans are still around because of me. Oh yes, and you, Noct, dear Prompto, Gladio, and fair Luna helped too."

"Well. That took up a little bit of the endless eternity," Ardyn said brightly. "What will you do now?"

* * *

The full light of day was not good for Gralea, to Aranea's mind. It belonged as it had been—shrouded in clouds and darkness, soaked by a seemingly endless rain. In the glare of the sun, the city looked dry-rotted. A once busy city was now stone silent, the only sounds the wind and the periodic clattering of pieces of buildings breaking off.

Aranea was beginning to wonder if Zegnautus Keep would collapse around her when she went in, but she had no choice. She needed answers, and as far as she was concerned, the truth was worth the risk.

The gigantic metal hulk of a building did not appear to be falling apart. But again, keeps by their nature were designed to remain standing even as everything else fell down around them. Aranea had to hope it would live up to its name. At least it had power—the lobby lights glowing as normal amid the surrounding abandoned buildings was disturbing.

She had only been here once, for official intake as part of the imperial forces. She had undergone a routine physical to determine her fitness for duty, and had been sent on her way. She had never gone to the upper floors, which is where she needed to go now. How would she be able to track down a secret project in a building this large?

She started as any visitor would, with the lobby sign saying who was on what floor. She found "Research and Development" on the 30th floor. However, since Verstael was doing "secret" work, it stood to reason that his department might not be listed, which would be a major problem. Still R and D was a logical place to start, so time to make her way up. But with an elevator she didn't trust after ten years of neglect—30 flights of stairs was a long walk.

* * *

Iris tried the door to the office, only for it to be locked. She was all set to pick the lock to escape, but the heat of the door gave her pause. It was hot to the touch, as though if she dared to open it, she would be incinerated. She could do nothing against fire. Not even Cor could, she thought with a shudder. She spared a thought for Cor, and hoped he was in a place free of fear and pain.

She made her way to the window. It was plate glass and covered the whole front wall. She could easily fit through it if she could break it. And there were desk chairs in here that could do the job. However, it was a twenty story drop straight down. There was no ledge, no way she could shimmy to a neighboring office to escape. Unless she wanted to kill herself, that was not a viable route.

Although, maybe killing herself should be what she was thinking of. She didn't believe Belenus's "sparing her". Even if he did not kill her right now, he would, eventually. But he would probably do things before that that would make her wish for death, she thought with panic.

She was under no illusions as to why he had kissed her. It was not like a "stolen kiss" that she had read about in romance novels. Those implied somebody you cared for, who cared for you. They were sudden, to be sure, but at some level you could trust the person not to take things too far or hurt you. Any other time it was a violation, and an assault. Bel— _he_ (she didn't even want to think his name) just wanted to hurt, to dominate, to prove that he was the one in command. And if she couldn't escape him, he would do even worse.

And where were the guards and staff in all this? Did he harm them too? If she pounded on the door, would they hear her and come to her aid? Or was their loyalty with Lux and Belenus now? It may make matters worse if she tried enlisting their aid. And if they were on her side and Belenus caught them trying to rescue her…No, she couldn't have their deaths on her conscience.

For now she was trapped, with either a plummeting death or incineration if she tried to escape, or who knows what if she stayed put. Then she remembered. She still had her cell phone! She could call for help from outside! But then, who could come to her aid? Cindy and Talcott would do what they could, but they weren't fighters. And it would take a special kind of fighter who could take on someone who could kill Cor.

The only one left she could trust in a fight against Belenus was Aranea. But she didn't want Aranea to rush into danger to help her. And Aranea had already warned her that staying here would put her into Belenus's path. Iris's flippant response about "being a hunter who could handle him" made her flinch now. No, she couldn't make Aranea come to save her from her own folly. She was Gladio's sister after all. Surely she could come up with something on her own? Except, right now her options seemed limited.

* * *

 **So...I played with Ardyn's backstory quite a bit here. I was curious if he maybe had other reasons for doing what he did, and wondered what it would look like. I had to play with crystal lore a lot to make something remotely plausible (to my mind anyway). Hope you don't mind. Not sure if giving him an "Itachi Uchiha" style backstory works either, but I tried ;-) Anyway: till next time.**


	10. Chapter 10: Ramuh's Wisdom

**Hey There! A bit of a "lull day" out my way, so I figured I'd post another chapter. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

"What do you mean we can't take the car any further," Gladio demanded of Luna.

"Ramuh's cave is not on the main road. We need to go into the bush to get there," she replied.

"No prob! Let's get ourselves some Chocobos then," Prompto added cheerily.

"I think not," Ravus replied coolly.

"What's the matter? Afraid you will get feathers on that white armor of yours," Gladio snarked.

"Ravus happens to be allergic to them," Luna replied.

Ravus made a put-upon sigh at his sister revealing one of his weaknesses. And Prompto was merciless in exploiting it.

"Really," Prompto replied with a snicker. "So, what happens? You see one and sneeze snot all over your breastplate—" he broke off laughing at the image.

Ravus sniffed contemptuously. "Allergies are no laughing matter," he replied condescendingly.

"Speak for yourself, dude," Prompto replied. "Remember that time Noct got poison ivy," he asked Gladio leadingly. "He looked like a mushroom! You know, red puffs everywhere?"

"Yeah. And Iggy cooked up some kind of salve for it," Gladio added.

Ravus was done with the reminiscing. He merely started forward down the path, leaving the others to hurry in his wake.

Luna couldn't help but smile wistfully at Prompto's and Gladio's memory. Not that she thought it was humorous, but it was so typical of them. However, it made her realize how few memories of Noctis she really had. The only "real" ones she had were of writing him notes in the notebook Umbra would transport back and forth to him. She had never actually seen him since she was 12 years old. The arranged marriage that had been proposed had never actually happened.

She had never seen him as an adult, married him, been intimate with him. Were those memories even real? They were so vivid, they had to have happened, but where did the timelines converge?

Then a disturbing thought popped into her head. What if Noctis had had someone else when he was alive? What if he had a lover out there, back in the land of the living? What if there was another woman out there who missed him, was mourning him? Should Luna be jealous, possessive, understanding of that? She shook her head. This was all part of the consequences of learning about alternate timelines, just as Titan had warned. She had said she wanted the truth no matter how painful. If this is what it was, then she had no cause to complain.

She just had to brace herself for what Ramuh would give her.

* * *

Ignis wandered back to his office, his thoughts still spinning. He strongly suspected that he had made the wrong choice going to Ardyn—it just confused his thoughts more, of course. Gladio would laugh in his face if he told him he went to Ardyn for clarity on anything.

However, Ardyn's story did ring true. Oh, there was still enough there that Ignis wanted to use his daggers on him for. However, what he had said about the Six held a grain of truth. He had never been sure what to make of them. Noctis had only gone to them since Luna had told Noctis to. And Ignis would follow Noct anywhere. He still didn't understand why they had to fight them all, or why Ifrit had been so vicious and in Ardyn's control. Perhaps he was right?

And if that was the case, what would happen if Luna encountered Ifrit in her quest to meet the Astrals? His blood chilled at the thought. If Ifrit hated humans as much as Ardyn said he did, then Luna was in danger. Yes, Prompto and Gladio were there, but it had taken all four of them, plus Noct and Shiva to subdue him.

Even if they thought him an idiot for giving them information that originated from Ardyn, he had to at least present it. Ignis called Luna's cell phone, just to have it give the "out of service" message. The same happened for Gladio's and Prompto's. In desperation, he even called Ravus, just to get the same thing. For the first time in his (albeit disordered) memory, Ignis's patience snapped, and he threw his cell phone down on the floor in frustration.

* * *

"I'm coming in now. Is that ok," Lux whispered as he entered the throne room. The crystal glowed silently and faintly, as though acknowledging his presence even if it wasn't thrilled with it.

Lux meandered his way to the throne itself, noting how loudly his steps echoed in the room. He clapped his hands, just to hear the claps echo back as well. The room made him feel small, insignificant, and though he was not welcome here.

It felt just like Gralea. He had not felt welcome there, either. The vague memories popped up. "You'd better not betray us like your mother did," the phantom voice hissed in his head, sounding like it was coming from behind glass; the feeling of cold liquid all around him; the only warmth when he first met Belenus. He stamped his foot to chase away the memories.

As Belenus said, he had to be bold and claim his birthright. The throne was his now. His steps became sure, more confident. He strode the last few steps to the throne chair and sat down, claiming it for his own. The crystal shone brighter, hesitantly granting its approval.

* * *

Only a few months of peace, and she was already out of shape, Aranea thought ruefully. She used to be able to take down high level daemons without breaking a sweat, and here she was, winded after walking up several flights of stairs. Well, thirty flights of stairs.

The R and D floor was silent. However, she quickly saw the source of the lights for the building—the R and D team must have built a reactor of some kind as a power source. She could see the reactor behind glass—its ethereal glow told her it was something long-lasting, and maybe dangerous. Now she just had to find Versatel's office (again).

The convenient luck she had at the Magitek Production Facility was not holding here. She could not find his office anywhere on this floor. It must on one of the "secret floors" as she feared. But, someone in R and D had to report to him. If she could find the office of somebody who did, she might be able to track it down. Verstael was high up in the ranks, so she assumed a direct report would have an office of his or her own and not be stuffed in a lab with everyone else. Arrogant jerks like that would probably demand the biggest ones too. Those were easy to track down with the fire evacuation map by the stairwell. She found four offices in each of the corners that were larger than the others. She would start there.

The first office was keycard-locked, but it was nothing her lance couldn't handle. There was no need for stealth anymore. She hacked the door down like it was made of paper and strode in. She sneered at the leather chairs and cherry-wood desk. These guys got the nice stuff while the grunts got peanuts. And true to form, there was a computer. On (thanks to the power) but locked and needing a username and password.

She had the person's name (thanks to the name plaque on the door), and knew how Niflheim government usernames worked from her time there. That part she could easily guess. Not the password though. She had never known the occupant of this office—she had no way of knowing what he would have picked. But then she saw the post-it note taped to the bottom of the monitor. It had a handwritten number on it, 8 digits long. Could it really be that obvious? Taking a chance, she typed in the numbers, along with how the username "should" look. To her gleeful surprise, she got in.

It was true what they say, she thought wonderingly. The most common cause of computer security breaches was human error, like leaving a password for all to see. In any case, she had another lead. She put in "Project Lux" as a search term, just to come up dry. This part didn't surprise her, but she hoped like hell she would find something under the search term "Verstael." And oh did she find it:

 _Subject: Re: Lab 5 Sample Check_

 _I can't believe you would put this in writing, sir! They can read your emails, you know. But yeah, I can check on those samples for you._

 _Sent Message:_

 _Xxxx: Wrote:_

 _That jerk of a Verstael is making me bring him lunch again! I am senior director of R and D! Not some secretary. And he can't even have the courtesy to pick it up himself. I have to take it all the way down to "his fortress" on B3 to give it to him. And that prick is a vegan! How the hell am I supposed to find vegan food in the cafeteria? And that means either I need to eat vegan too today, or make two stops (3 including the drop off)._

 _Anyway, sorry for the vent, but because of that, would you mind checking on the samples in lab 5 this afternoon? Looks like I will have a scheduling conflict._

Thank goodness for disgruntled employees who decide to write their grievances down, Aranea thought in amusement. She now knew where Verstael's office (and maybe lab) was. She was not going to walk all the way back down though. She was going to chance the elevator this time.

* * *

"So, is that one a stalagmite or stalactite," Prompto asked Gladio, gesturing to the pointed object before them.

"This again," Gladio snarked. "Are you going to do this for every cave we see?"

"Dunno. Sure is dark in here," Prompto added nervously. "How far back does this thing go?"

"Sounds like you are asking 'are we there yet' to me," Ravus commented mockingly, but with no real malice behind it. If Luna didn't know better, she would think her brother was razzing Prompto.

"Come on," Prompto replied. "Don't you want to know the answer to this too? We could end up in a crater again like the last time."

"That won't happen," Luna replied flatly. "This cave is not volcanic in origin."

"Feel how damp it is," Ravus commented, so saying, he brushed some condensation off of his armor. "That indicates the presence of water, not magma."

"Are both of you amateur geologists," Gladio commented. "How the hell do you know so much about caves?"

"When you are tied to the Six, and they live in them, you are kind of forced to learn," Luna said.

Ravus looked startled. "I, don't know how I know that," he replied in concern.

Luna looked at him. "You did sit in on some of my training. Maybe you subconsciously remember some," she asked tentatively.

"Ramuh will know," was Ravus's only reply.

As if on cue, the corridor they were in widened a bit, and dead-ended to where Ramuh himself was seated, evidently meditating. He didn't mind being interrupted though—his eyes were kindly as he surveyed the group.

"Luna, Gladio, Prompto," he nodded at the three of them, then glanced Ravus's way. "Hmm. We never met, but due to the resemblance, I am guessing you are Ravus Nox Fleuret?"

Ravus jerked in surprise. "I was not aware that I looked so much like my sister," he commented awkwardly.

Ramuh laughed heartily, making lightning flash in the corner of the room, startling them all. "I suppose no brother likes to hear that he looks like his sister."

"It's weird for it to be the other way too," Luna commented shyly.

"Too true," Ramuh said politely. "So, let me guess? You want me to restore your memories?"

They all stared at him in surprise.

"Titan told me. It's no trouble for me at all. However, I don't have that many to give. Titan gave you the most. I can only provide the time between when you sought his blessing and mine. And since I never met you, Sir Ravus, unfortunately I cannot grant you yours."

"Who does have them," he asked.

"I would say Leviathan probably does. However, before you go to her, know that she holds some, troubling ones that you may not want. And she may seek to protect you from yourselves and not relinquish them. I will ask her to do so, but she may not agree."

"We convinced Titan. I believe we can do the same for Leviathan," Gladio commented.

"Very well. I assume you still want the memories I can give you," Ramuh asked. "As Titan warned you, any knowledge of multiple timelines carries a risk."

After seeing three nods, he was satisfied. "Close your eyes. I will carefully return your lost memories to you."

* * *

"The chair becomes you, my young lord. Oh, beg your pardon, Your Majesty," Belenus told his liege.

It was on the tip of Lux's tongue to say the chair was actually uncomfortable, and that it was ok to still call him by his old title (he wasn't used to the King one yet) but he could guess his mentor's reaction to that. Instead he merely gave a cool, condescending "Thank You, Master Belenus."

Belenus smiled serenely. "Good. Now, about your advisors and the staff here: since their loyalties are 'uncertain', I took the liberty of 'firing' them. They have 'departed' the Citadel. We will find you loyal staff soon."

"What about Iris," Lux asked. "Is she, ok?"

Belenus sneered a moment. "Why the interest in that woman?"

"She's been, nice to me. I just, don't want her hurt."

"Oh my poor young Majesty. It grieves me to disillusion you so, but nobody is truly 'nice'. They are only nice if they want something in return. Iris knew you were to be king, so wanted to be nice to you, so maybe you would give her something in exchange."

"Like, what," Lux asked, very confused.

"Oh, I don't know. Fame, fortune, sparing of her life, perhaps? She knows you will be a stronger ruler than Noctis, so undoubtedly would want to be on your good side. Your first act should be to show no mercy and show her who's boss. I can even take care of that for you, so you can focus on more important things."

"She's not like that," Lux said stubbornly.

Belenus rolled his eyes in frustration. "She saw my actions out of context. If she leaves here, she may spread bad news about us, and people may hate you before you even get started as king. I thought you wanted everyone to like you?"

"Ok," Lux said desperately. "She can't leave here, but she's not to be hurt."

Belenus sighed. "That is a very short term measure. However, I am your loyal subject, so shall do as you ask. And if you decide it, I shall also serve as your executioner."

Lux looked at him strangely—he couldn't decide if Belenus meant he would execute people for him, or execute him. He wished with all his heart that he had stayed in Galdin Quay—it was nice there, and there were no burdens or responsibilities. He realized he didn't want to be king, but it was too late.

He walked with leaden feet over to the crystal. It did not respond. He looked to Belenus fearfully.

"Get some rest, young man. You can commune with it in the morning," Belenus said, gently by his standards.

Lux took the reprieve, and fled to his room—his only place of familiarity at the moment.

* * *

"Ardyn has a son," Noctis replied to Bahamut in a mix of shock and disgust.

"Indeed," Bahamut replied gravely.

"And, he's the one who's left to wield the crystal," Noctis replied in rising anger.

"Calm yourself! He is unable to wield it like you could."

"Yet! He's just a kid! If he learns to use it and follows in his 'daddy's' footsteps, everything we did was for nothing."

Bahamut listened in silence, then continued. "I confess I did not foresee this. It is, indeed, quite troubling."

"How could you not foresee it? Aren't you a God?"

"Even Gods are fallible. Look at Ifrit, and Shiva for that matter."

"What do you mean," Noctis asked, voice hard.

"Ifrit is, misguided about how to handle humans. And Shiva follows her own will, and does not communicate them with the rest of us. Those who work alone are liable to make a mistake."

"You are lumping Shiva in with Ifrit? At least she never tried to kill me! Wait, did Ifrit? I, can't remember," Noctis broke off, floundering desperately.

Bahamut took pity on him. "Yes, Ifrit did try to kill you, and Shiva did not. However, she is too partial to things she holds dear. Gods are meant to be unbiased. It is true that she sides with humans, generally. However, imagine if she granted her undying love to Daemons instead. My point is, Gods can make mistakes."

Noctis was silent for a moment, but then replied. "It may sound selfish of me, and a cheap ploy to avoid this eternal existence. However, I don't care. I need to get back to Lucis, my Lucis, and stop whatever it is that the kid is planning. Please, grant me the power to return."

Bahamut pondered for a bit. "It is not as simple as that. This world relies on balance. Restoring you will have repercussions on all the others here. If I let you go, your wife and comrades will be released from this as well to go where all other souls go. And Ardyn will be released from his endless prison."

Noctis clenched his hand in frustration. "I can't do it alone. If you release me, can you release my friends too? Together we will set things right. Does that satisfy the balance for you?"

"You would deprive them of their eternal peace?"

"If they agree to this, will you do it?"

"And what about Ardyn? If I release you, he goes with you."

"Dammit! What the hell kind of rules are those?"

"I'm sorry, Noctis. However, I had to pull a lot of strings to build this reality for you. It will take quite a bit to undo it."

Noctis was thinking desperately. "Please, restore my memories. And then I will meet with the others and figure out what we do next. We may be able to find some kind of solution."

"Very well. It will take a bit to restore your memories, but I can do that."

* * *

Iris surveyed her handiwork with grim satisfaction. Her arms were aching from throwing that desk chair repeatedly at the glass. However, after much effort, she had succeeded in breaking the window. The cold wind of an Insomnia autumn was whistling in from the window, chilling her. Now, she sat huddled under a desk near the door of the office, waiting.

Even though she was waiting for him, he still almost caught her off guard. There were no audible approaching footsteps, or a knock. Belenus barged right in, and as planned, strode straight to the broken window. This was what Iris was banking on. While he was peering out, seeing if she had jumped, she rushed out the front door, dashing down the hall as fast as her legs would carry her.

An elevator or the stairwell would do. If she could get to either one of those with enough of a head start, she could find a place to hide until she could run like hell out of the building. She reached the stairwell door first, and grabbed the knob to pull it open. Only to pull back in shock. The metal knob was as hot as a pot on the stove. She would need an oven mitt to open it. Well, she would just use the hem of her shirt as a hot pad, she thought desperately, edging it up to do just that. Even then, the door didn't budge. Dammit! How the hell was she supposed to pick a lock on a boiling hot handle?

"Did you really think I wouldn't have this entire floor on lockdown," the hated voice came from close behind her.

She turned sharply to face her foe. Belenus was standing a few feet away, a smug smirk on his face, hot fury in his gaze.

"You and I need to come to an understanding," he said viciously. "You are not allowed to leave this building. And Lux has decreed that I am not to 'hurt' you, and I must abide by his wishes. However," Belenus added darkly. "He did not specify what he meant by 'hurt'. If you don't want to find out how many loopholes there are in my promise not to hurt you, I recommend you do exactly what I say."

Iris stared back, numb with horror. "And what is that? Allow you to, to touch me," she asked, voice rising with hysteria.

"I can do whatever I want, whenever I want. I have the power here," he replied ruthlessly. "However, if it assuages your cowardly fears, I have better things to do with my time right now than dealing with you. You have two choices: one, I lock you in the dungeons in the basement. It is uncomfortable, but is far away from me, so that may be a benefit to you. Two, I lock you in your quarters on this level. You will be more comfortable, but you will be close at hand for when I get 'bored'. Where would you prefer your incarceration?"

Both choices were unacceptable, Iris thought with desperation. However, there was no third option. "Frankly," she said coldly. "If being locked in a torture chamber was the only way to get away from you, I would jump at it. I'd much prefer the dungeon if it's all the same to you."

Belenus smirked, as though he was expecting that answer. Then he stepped forward, put his arm around her waist, and pulled her close. She had a moment of sheer terror as she felt his hand touch her breast, pocket. He withdrew with her cell phone in his hand.

Then he dropped it on the floor and stomped it with his foot with ruthless efficiency, rendering it completely destroyed.

"Come with me," he said coldly. "And if you try to run again, you will suffer."

Iris wasn't about to point out that that would be a violation of his promise with Lux. She didn't believe he would follow it anyway. She was well and truly trapped, but had to hope that the dungeon would prove far enough away that he would leave her alone.

* * *

 **Till next time everyone! Thanks for reading.**


	11. Chapter 11: Maternal Revelations

**Hey there! Short chapter this time, but hopefully there is enough action to balance it out. Anyways. Here goes...**

* * *

Snowflakes kissing his face was the first thing Cor noticed. He was lying on his back in a snowy field. He squinted at the light gray sky above, flinching a bit when more snowflakes came down to tickle his eyelashes. He rose stiffly to his feet. What was going on? The last thing he remembered was stifling heat and pain. He didn't remember why or what happened, just the feeling. His mind was in fact blank, now that he thought of it. However, it didn't panic him. It made him feel calm, at peace.

When the icebound woman in the revealing outfit manifested before him, he didn't even react at first. He just gave her a curt nod and started to go along his way.

"Cor the Immortal," the woman intoned, in a voice that made Cor stop to listen.

He turned to give the being a closer look. The woman was standing in the cold, clutching a bundle in her arms. The bundle was shaking as though there was something alive inside. Cor immediately removed his jacket and handed it to the woman to give her charge some extra warmth.

She smiled serenely, but refused to accept his offering. Then caressed the bundle. After a happy coo from within, the trembling stopped.

"You have the advantage of me, miss…" Cor replied.

"You know who I am, victim of Ifrit," she spoke with infinite sorrow.

Ifrit, he thought. Who, what? Then memory sliced back—his final confrontation with Belenus, no Ifrit—the burning pain.

"I'm dead, aren't I," he said resignedly.

The woman nodded sadly. "I am, sorry for what happened. I, thought Ifrit had learned his lesson, but it appears I was wrong."

"It doesn't really matter to me at this point, except that the world I left behind is in deep shit," Cor replied.

"Yes. I, fear for Ifrit. He has moved beyond a place where I can help him."

"Then do something about it," Cor replied.

"I tried, several months ago, with Noctis. However, Ifrit just reincarnated. Like all our kind do. I had hoped he would have learned his lesson this round, but it appears not. There is nothing I can do. However, I believe his fate may rest with the returners of light, and you. I would, like to enlist your aid."

"And if I say no," Cor asked. "I'm growing mighty tired of these Gods messing with things."

"If you refuse, I shall gladly grant you eternal peace. You shall go to where all the dead go, to a land of peace, free of pain, the comforting arms of oblivion."

"And what is my alternative?"

"We shall send you to the world created just for Noctis and his comrades. Due to their sacrifice, they have been granted a, special existence. One that they are rightfully beginning to question. If you would allow it, I would like to return all of your memories to you and send you with that knowledge into Noctis's world to present him with the truth. He must know what is going on outside."

"But, what can he do about it? I mean, he's trapped here."

The woman smiled mysteriously. "He has defied the Gods before. He can do so again."

Cor thought for a moment. "Well, I'd rather see Noctis again then move along just yet. I'm game for this if you are."

She gave him a wintery serene smile. "Very well. I, Shiva, the Glacian, hereby return to you your memories."

* * *

Belenus was stone silent as he escorted Iris to the basement dungeons. The suave, talkative sycophant was gone. And an implacable, brutal captor was in his place. Iris had suspected he was not to be trusted, but to have such a face hiding behind his oily mask was frightening. The whole way down, she was looking for ways to escape—someone to help her, a distraction, anything. However, Belenus was too alert. As if sensing her schemes, he grabbed her arm in a brutal grip and half guided/half dragged her along.

Iris had enough of the ruthless silence, and decided to break it. She needed some type of answer, even if it killed her. "What is your plan in all this, Belenus? You seek to put Ardyn's son on the throne? Wasn't ten years of his father's reign good enough?"

Belenus's grip on her wrist tightened painfully. She wondered in resigned horror if he would break it.

"Don't you dare mention that bastard to me," Belenus spat out—the smoldering hatred in his voice almost palpable.

So much for getting answers, Iris thought in frustration with herself as she backed off. But this just raised further questions. It was obvious he hated Ardyn's guts. Then why would he support his offspring's rise to power? It made no sense. Her captor was stark raving mad.

And she was letting him lock her up in a cell. It was already too late. The metal cell door creaked open on rusty hinges, and he threw her inside with a force that knocked her to the hard floor. As she rose up to get her bearings or defend herself if need be, the door was already closed, locked, and heated as the other locks had been. Maybe she should have taken the "more comfortable" option, she thought bitterly. She was alone in a cramped cell, with no chance of escape.

* * *

B3 of Zegnautus Keep reminded Aranea of the Magitek Production Facility, except that it was lit (after a fashion) and not cold. On the contrary, it was stuffy and unpleasant. Ten years of improper ventilation hadn't been good for it either. The smells of dust and mold were a strong undercurrent. Aranea instinctively wrinkled her nose in disgust.

Still, it could have been in an overflowing sewer and Aranea still would have gone in, as long as there was a potential payoff. And being in Verstael's Gralea base was a big one. She ignored the lab for now—she saw glass tubes out of the corner of her eye, but she was in no mood to gawk at the medical oddities that no doubt resided within. She was after Verstal's computer.

With the power still on, the computer booted up. However, it was still password locked. How lazy was Verstael, Aranea wondered, as she entered in the eight zeros in a row password. Very lazy, she figured out triumphantly, as that password logged her right in.

Now, to search for Project Lux.

 _Project Lux scale up efforts:_

 _Unfortunately, due to the substantial efforts of gene splicing, I have concluded that the only way to build a stable daemon/human hybrid is to combine one human's DNA with the Ardyn/daemon mix. Even the addition of a second human to the combination is enough to disrupt the genetic alignment and make either a being with not enough daemon to be of use, or one who is too daemonic in appearance to suit the purpose of the experiment._

 _Hybrid stability also appears to be correlated to blood type of the human sample. For example, type A hybrids seem to have more muscle mass than a type 0. I shall attempt with different types and Rh factors to determine the best mix. Thanks to our esteemed Emperor's support, I have been authorized to access the employee physical bank for any genetic or blood samples I require to assist in this regard._

Aranea's face twisted. Even confidential medical records of employees were considered fair game for Verstael's twisted experiments?

 _Our employee bank has proven quite fruitful. I was even able to obtain a sample of the rarest blood type of all (thank you, Miss Highwind). I shall create a hybrid with this at once under code name LuxABO._

Aranea felt like she had been punched in the stomach. Verstael had even taken her DNA for his army of monsters? Were there abominations in the tubes out there that were part her? With shaking fingers, she searched for the LuxABO code name.

 _This blood type has proven to be the most stable one yet! This one holds such promise. I shall begin mass production at once._

 _Unfortunately, I must cease production on LuxABO. Highwind has betrayed the Empire. As the tendency to betray might be in her genes, this fault may have passed onto the other hybrids. I shall destroy all I have made so far. However, I will continue assessing the genome of LuxABO 1A. If I can identify the source of the "betrayal gene" I may be able to eradicate it within the host and create successful clones of it for my army._

Ok. Now Aranea felt like she was going to throw up. He had made, many copies of beings with her DNA, then destroyed them? It was almost like, they had been her children, and he had killed them.

She didn't want to know, but then again she couldn't not check. With leaden steps, she wandered back out to the labs to check the tubes. The beings stored in green liquid behind the glass did look "normal". But there was still something off about them. It was like looking into the uncanny valley—they "looked" human, but something undefinable was missing. She read each label with dread, bracing herself for the illusory human she would find that was part herself.

She found "LuxABO 1A" at one of the ends of a row. And the tube was empty. It was intact, which indicated the inhabitant was released naturally. But was it alive when it happened? How would she ever know? As she looked around, she saw it was the only empty tube. So just that being had been released? Lux had the same name as this project, and was from Gralea. There was only one empty tube…

The implications brought Aranea to her knees. No wonder Lux had seemed disturbingly familiar to her. Lux was, in essence, her son.

* * *

Lux made his way back to the throne room. His confident steps from yesterday had become leaden again. Belenus had told him the first thing he had to do as king was get the crystal to fully accept him. "How can your people accept you when the crystal does not," he had said. And he was right. Why would the people embrace a kid like him if the crystal wouldn't? He had to get it to accept him, somehow.

But, he was scared of the power that the crystal symbolized. How could someone like him wield it? Still, he was supposed to be king, and this is what he was supposed to do. He didn't want to do his homework either, but he was supposed to. This was no different.

The throne room was as big and cold as it was last time. The crystal glowed impassively. Lux looked over at the flickering blue gem. Could he really get it to talk to him Lux asked himself in wonder.

"Go on," Belenus encouraged. Lux had not heard him come in, but he was glad of his support now.

Lux meandered over to the crystal. He waved his hands over it, to get no response. He strained and strained, but it stayed silent. The first time he had interacted with it, it had been so easy. Why wasn't it working now?

He looked over to Belenus in fear. "It, it is not responding."

"I can see that," Belenus replied coldly. "Did you rest last night like I told you?"

"Yes of course," Lux replied defensively, eager to show his compliance to his mentor.

Belenus raked his hand through his hair in frustration. "I rescued you from Gralea, just as I did the crystal. However, it appears that I wasted my time. Perhaps you will betray us, just like your mother did."

Lux stared back at him in horror. "What did you just say?"

"If you cannot control the crystal, you can't be king. And you are better off in Gralea. Gralea is very nice, now that there is light. I hear Zegnautus Keep has kept up well in the past ten years. Maybe you should go home. Your tube should still be empty," Belenus added leadingly.

"Tube," Lux thought in desperation. He had vague memories of being surrounded with cold liquid, his only world what he could see outside the glass, in varying shades of green. Of being alone and stifled, desperate to escape his prison.

His eyes began to emit a daemonic glow. His face, pale with terror, was beginning to crack, with black oil oozing from the cracks. "No! I will never go back there! I will destroy it first!"

When Lux touched the crystal, all the lights in the room shorted out. Even the sunlight outside disappeared, as though a full eclipse had occurred. With the outside in darkness, the throne room became jet black, the same black as the crystal that now emitted a black light. The black light made white items glow in ethereal relief. Such as Lux, alabaster pale again, framed by his pale blonde hair, collapsed on the floor next to the crystal, unconscious.

Belenus stared down at the boy king. He knew the power that had just been emitted. The death knell of Gralea had just been sounded.

* * *

Cindy squinted in the sudden darkness as she was putting the finishing touches on the engine she was rebuilding. It must be later than she thought. This job shouldn't have taken that long to do—she could rebuild engines practically in her sleep. Then she looked at her watch, and did a double take. This dark at 1pm?

She looked up at the sky, sharply. The sun was there, but its path was obstructed by a dark object. Was it an eclipse? Except, the object was getting bigger, as though it was getting closer. She stared at it, frozen for a moment. What was she seeing? Was it an asteroid, a meteor? Where was it hitting, she wondered in a panic. Was Hammerhead in danger?

It no longer blocked the sun, leaving the midafternoon light in its wake. However, it seemed as though it had a specific target in mind. It was headed to the northwest. Cindy did a quick map search in her head. Duscae, Tenebrae, or Niflheim was in its path. She needed to contact Aranea, and quickly.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! I may have shorter chapters for a bit while I write more material. Hope you bear with me.**


	12. Chapter 12: Handling the Truth

**Hey Everyone! I've slowed down quite a bit on writing lately, so don't have as much ready to go as I typically do. Hope this shorter chapter makes up for it. Hope the story is keeping you interested and thanks for reading!**

* * *

"So, you're sure that's the last of it," Noctis asked Bahamut.

"I know full well what I changed. Yes, I gave you back everything. Are you still set on returning to the other world?"

"That will depend on my, wife, and friends," Noctis replied. "I will not make a decision like this without them."

He was disturbed that he had hung up on the word, "wife." However, it was true. They weren't actually married. Every kiss they had shared, every night together, had been an illusion. But was it? He couldn't think about that now. For now he had all the pieces he needed. He just needed to assemble them. And for that, he needed to talk to Luna.

"Very well. Go forth, King Noctis Lucis Caelum," Bahamut intoned.

* * *

"Sir Ignis, good news! His Majesty is—are you ok, sir? You don't look too good," the guard greeted Ignis.

Ignis did indeed look like a wreck. His hair was on end, his face haggard and drawn as though he hadn't gotten much sleep lately. Not being able to contact Luna, compounded with terror that she would encounter Ifrit, would do that though. He could still see (as far as he knew) so that was something anyway.

"I, I am fine," Ignis lied. "What about Noct, er, Noctis," Ignis asked intently.

"He is awake sir, and asking to see you, Sir Gladio, Sir Prompto, and Her Majesty."

"What was he told," Ignis asked.

"Nothing yet. I figured, you would give him the information," the guard asked hopefully.

"Of course. Thank you very much, er corporal," Ignis replied, rising stiffly to his feet. Still, Noctis was awake! He would have somebody else he could explain the facts to. However, how could he explain it?

Noctis was already back in his royal offices off of the throne room, pacing. He looked up eagerly when he saw Ignis.

"What the hell happened to you," was Noctis's greeting.

He really must look like hell, Ignis thought, ruefully. "I would say the same to you, Noct," was his wry reply.

"Where are Luna and the others," Noctis asked, an edge to his tone.

"They, have gone to speak to the astrals an attempt to revive you."

"Shit," Noctis exclaimed, fumbling for his phone to frantically call his wife, to tell her to come right back. He got the same out of service message that Ignis had been getting.

"I can't get through. Where the hell are they," Noctis demanded.

"I, don't know. I have experienced the same situation myself," Ignis replied. "However, I fear we have additional problems. It concerns, our thoughts that something may be rotten in the state of Insomina. I, fear we were more right than we knew."

"We are trapped in an illusion world right now," Noctis replied. "The Six sought to reward us for our efforts in returning light to the world by giving this world to us."

"You, know," Ignis replied, somewhere between shock and relief.

"Yeah. Bahamut told me. But, how do you know?"

Ignis didn't want to tell him it was from Ardyn's taunts. He changed the subject. "We need to get the others back, immediately. If you are functional, I would request that you take over your duties as soon as possible, and I shall venture out to find them."

Noctis gave him a level look. "I'm not delegating 'rescue' of my beloved to somebody else. And I think we have bigger problems. We will go together. It's not like my kingdom is real, right?"

How could he be so blasé about the illusion, Ignis thought. Here he was, suffering an identity crisis because what he was administering was not real. Yet Noctis, King of it all, accepted it right away. "I, suppose you are right," Ignis conceded.

"Normally I would chastise both of you for abandoning your duties, but in this case you made the right decision," a familiar voice called out confidently from the doorway. Noctis and Ignis looked up as one to see Cor standing there, surveying them both.

"Shiva was right," he mused. "They even gave you your younger selves here," Cor commented bemused, then shook his head. "Nevermind! We've got problems, and I need you both to shut up and listen."

* * *

Aranea made her way to the stairwell in a daze. She had known the truth would be ugly, but not this, never this. She felt betrayed and unclean, as though she had actually borne Ardyn's child herself. Her skin crawled at the thought. She thought back to when she had worked with him at the Vesperpool Ruins (when she had taken Noctis and his crew under her wing). Had he really not known what Verstael was doing, or had done? Had he been secretly laughing up his sleeve at her the whole time, knowing that he and she had a son together?

For that matter, Lux was also part daemon if that crackpot was to be believed. Had she technically borne a daemon's offspring as well, she thought in rising horror as the implications of what she found began condensing.

She shook her head to banish the thoughts. It was not like she had had anything to do with it. Lux was created in a test tube, and was just a bunch of genes spliced together. It was not as though she had done any of this naturally, or had even known. All that had happened was that she had given her blood sample during her onboarding physical, they had stored it, and Verstael had used it. None of this was her fault. Then, why did she feel responsible for Lux? How the hell would she explain this to Cor?

She felt the rumbling. An earthquake, here? Now? The shaking was so strong that it knocked her to the floor. The noise was muffled, but she was hearing long drawn out "wooshes" as though a gigantic wave was hitting nearby. She couldn't stay here. Being in the basement with an earthquake made her a sitting duck! She rushed up the stairs, hanging onto the handrail to keep her upright during the incessant shaking.

The exit sign broke off from the ceiling right when she was under it. It plummeted, aiming right for her. The ceiling in the stairwell was too low—she had no time to dodge. It hit her in the head with more force than she would have thought with the distance. "Pain, Ow," was the last coherent thoughts in her head before she sank into unconsciousness.

* * *

From one cell to another, Iris thought bitterly. And she was worse off than before. Now she did not even have the dubious option of jumping out the window to escape any dire fates in store for her. Her cell consisted of a cot, a toilet, and a miniscule window at the top of the wall, for light more than anything else. A light that had gone strangely dim for a second—she jumped up on the bed to see if she could see anything, but it was a no go.

What was she supposed to do? Maybe she should have swallowed her pride and called Aranea earlier, or barring that, sold out to creature comforts and asked to be put in a "gilded cage" rather than a real one. She probably would have had more options there. Except she would have been close to "him" she thought with a shudder. He had left her alone since dropping her off here, but she couldn't count on that. But how could she escape? The cell door was hot metal, just as the others had been. Even attempting to use her one blanket as an oven mitt had charred it-it wouldn't last long in this heat, and her hand would last even shorter.

Was she really supposed to wait here helplessly until Belenus came to finish the horrors he had started? Was she supposed to hang out here like a damsel in distress waiting for rescue, that would not be forthcoming? She was powerless, and hated it.

She heard the approaching footsteps, and lurched up in alarm, like a wounded animal sensing an approaching predator. She had nowhere to go. She stood in frozen horror as the hot, glowing metal door cooled and opened to allow Belenus in. He was carrying a tray of food and a cup of water.

Iris looked at it in stark disbelief. This cold hearted bastard was considerate enough to bring her food? What was his angle?

He must have been able to read her reaction, and rolled his eyes. "Lux still doesn't want you dead, so I needs must feed you. You would die all too quickly if I don't," Belenus replied, as though it were the worst imposition in the world to bring her a bowl of soup, a chunk of bread, and a cup of water.

"If it's easier for you, you can grant me kitchen privileges," Iris replied tartly. She didn't give a crap at this point if she antagonized him—words were all she had, and she wouldn't sit quietly while he abused her.

Belenus flashed her a glance that held a twinge of amusement. "Oh it's no trouble at all," he replied with malicious oiliness that harkened back to how he had reacted when she first met him. "Especially since things are going so swimmingly with our new King."

He sounded smug, which told Iris right off something was wrong.

"Did you turn him into the bully you wanted," Iris replied.

"A bully? Oh no. I have turned him into quite the powerful king. One who has the crystal, and all of its power, bent to his will. I expect great things from him. I can't vouch for the safety of your kind, but that's not my problem."

"Your kind," Iris asked. "So you are part daemon like Lux?"

Belenus laughed. "Oh yes. You have not seen 'me in the flesh' have you," he replied. And so saying, he shapeshifted to reveal his form as Ifrit.

Iris stood back in shock. "You, you are one of the Six," she sputtered in horror.

He smirked. "Now you see what I mean when I say I have all the power here, and can do whatever I want to you? Do you really think you can face off against a God?"

Iris was silent. She just stared back in fear. No wonder he had been able to kill Cor! Belenus, no Ifrit, was right. If he chose to harm her right now, there was nothing she could do about it.

"By the way," Ifrit taunted. "You should be grateful to your new King. He has destroyed Gralea for you, which is more than I can say for the 'heroes of light'".

"Gralea," Iris repeated back—she hated repeating back words like an idiot, but her fear-darkened mind was stopping her from being coherent.

"Yes. Gralea should be no more than a crater by now. I will return later, so you can repay me for having fed you."

And with that, Ifrit reverted back into the form of Belenus, and left the cell (too quickly for her to be able to bust out).

Not that she would have. She knew her strengths, and standing up to a God all alone was not one of them. She had to run, somehow.

* * *

"We really have no other vehicle than this," Noctis commented in surprise.

"Gladio took the Regalia, so this is our only other option," Ignis replied.

Noctis sized up the vehicle with misgivings. It was the float he and Luna had ridden on in their wedding parade down main street. It was still festooned with white (fake) flowers, and streamers. Was he really going to save his wife from contacting that bastard Ifrit in this?

"I'll drive," Ignis replied resignedly, sliding into the uncomfortable driver's seat. "Who wants the back platform?"

The car only had a passenger's seat and the platform on the back where the celebrities waved at the populace.

"You're the celeb here, King Noctis," Cor replied archly. "This is all you," and with that Cor plopped in to ride shotgun.

Noctis gave a put upon sigh. "I'm only doing this for Luna, you know," he added, taking his dubious place of honor. At least he could defend the car from this position, he thought as Ignis lurched the lumbering vehicle into gear.

"I still can't believe Ardyn has a son," Ignis commented to Cor. "He didn't, er, hurt a woman in the process did he?"

"The child was created in a lab without his knowledge," Cor replied. Ignis subsided in relief. Cor's rushed explanation (that Noctis seemed to know already) had just raised further questions that kept popping into his head. The implications of this, and the fact that Ifrit had killed Cor, were staggering.

He gave a sidelong glance to Cor. It was as though things were as they were—driving along on a mission. How did being dead and the world being in danger not faze him, Ignis wondered. Cor was just as collected as ever. Ignis was normally the calm one, but even he was outclassed by Cor.

"So, what are our next steps," Ignis asked him.

"Don't ask me. I've given you what's going on 'out there'. It's up to you guys to figure out what to do next."

That was the riddle, Ignis thought. From what Noct had said, they could be brought back, but it would unleash Ardyn as well. And with his son in the mix…

Well, first Luna and the others had to agree to go back. He for one was ready to end this charade, even if it did lead to suffering. He couldn't vouch for the others. If they wanted to stay where it was peaceful and safe, then they would never force them. And could they really ask Luna to return into danger? Damn Ifrit, he thought in a flash of anger. He was forcing Noct and Luna out of their peaceful existence to potentially risk their lives yet again just because he wanted to destroy the world for his own selfish reasons.

One step at a time. They had to track down the team. But with their phones still out of service that was a tall order. They would just have to meet with the other Astrals. Either Luna had already been there (giving them hints of where to go next) or they could wait for her to show up and intercept her. He just hoped it was before Luna found Ifrit.


	13. Chapter 13: Encroaching Darkness

**Happy Valentine's Day everyone! I know it hasn't been long since the last post, but things are shaping up to be pretty busy coming up (and I have more written) so figured I wouldn't leave folks hanging ;-) Shout outs to KHLostEmpress and irgroomer for the reviews! I love hearing what folks think, and hearing guesses on where things are going. And thanks as always to my regular readers who pick up my chapters so soon after they go up :-) Anyway, here goes:**

* * *

It was dark when Aranea regained consciousness. Had the blow to the head blinded her? She felt a pang of respect for Ignis. He was able to still kick ass despite being able to perceive the world this way. But she was panicking at the mere thought of it.

She had tried not to think about who and what had been lost with the return to the light, but Ignis's loss, pained her. Their paths had crossed often within the past ten years. He, Gladio, and Prompto seemed to have had an uncanny knowledge of where the big marks were, and always stepped in to help her take down the strongest daemons that endangered Tenebrae.

She thought she knew men's personalities—in the male-dominated hunter/mercenary world, you got to know them pretty quickly. Gladio was a no-brainer—tough, brash, he was no different from the other mercs she worked with day in and day out. Prompto was the "new recruit" of the group, shy and awkward who needed a helping hand to get him into fighting form. Noctis was the boy next door, or would be if he wasn't King.

Ignis, threw her for a loop. You could say he was "nerdy", but in her experience, nerds were shy, bad in a fight, and couldn't function in the "real world". They tended to see the world how they wanted to see it with no regard for reality. Ignis was none of that. He knew the way the world worked and accepted its realities; was good in a fight; cool; calm; smart; collected. Yet he was steadfast and selfless to a fault.

She could see Gladio going to the beyond in a blaze of glory, thrilled to have died honorably in battle. Even Prompto would have smiled wistfully, figured it was the hand he was dealt, and would have moved on with no regrets and with optimism to undertake the journey into the unknown. However, she felt Ignis would not have. He would have gone, knowing it was the only way, but would have seen it as a duty. It would not have been on his own terms. He would have left the world, with regrets or not, alone if he had to, as long as it would protect Noct.

"I was an orphan, and I met Noct at a very young age," Ignis had once confided in her during the ten years of darkness. "As such, I see him as the brother I never had. I, don't know where he is now. However, I know he will be back to save us all one day." Ignis had been so sure of himself when he said it. His unwavering trust of another, even in a time of endless darkness had pissed her off.

"Doesn't it ever become a prison? Tying yourself to Noctis," she had demanded.

"You do what you must for family," he replied. It is never ever a burden. Even if it brings you down, you do it because you, care for them, and there is nobody else to do it better."

"So you admit your devotion to Noctis is breaking you," she had replied in tones that made her wince to remember them now. She had been so eager to prove a point, and for a moment, hadn't cared about hurting him in the process.

Ignis had looked steadily back. Even though he couldn't see, he could still perceive her. "I was broken the day I donned the Ring of the Lucii. However, I saved Noct's life, so it was all worth it."

He had never had the chance to live for himself. And that pained Aranea the most. If things had been different, she would have wanted to help him find a life for himself that balanced his devotion to Noctis with his own wants. She shook her head at her own sappiness. Anyone would think she was in love with the debonair fool.

Maybe the blow to the head had done more damage than she thought. That damn sign, she thought in anger.

She took a deep breath. Maybe she couldn't see because the lights were just off? She fumbled for her flashlight and turned it on. To her relief, a weak beam of light showed the floor of the lab. Then she heard ominous hisses, telling her she was not alone in the room.

She rayed the flashlight towards one of the tubes. The once human-resembling being within was now a daemon. Its glowing eyes met hers for one chilling moment, before it began hitting the glass. It wanted out.

She began backing away, just to bump in to the tube on the opposite side of the aisle. She turned and saw a carbon copy, also trying to break out. All of the tubes were alive, daemonized, and the beings within wanted her.

The thuds of their fists against the glass became an ominous percussion to the otherwise undead silence. And each thud indicated a weakened tube. In this darkness, there was no way she could fight. She'd be flanked in a second. She had to get the hell out of here. If even one got out, she'd be in trouble.

The stairway before her was caved in. The earthquake, she remembered. This was a secret lab. There had to be more than one way out. She began searching frantically for some kind of hidden wall, hole, anything, and the thuds were becoming jingles. The glass of the tubes was beginning to chip away.

She found a card reader seemingly attached to a plain wall in the back. It didn't look like there was a door here, but what else could it be for. Her thoughts were interrupted by a shatter. One of the tubes had broken!

In desperation, she smacked the card reader with her lance, slicing it clean through. A panel in the wall slid open, revealing a tunnel. It could be full of daemons, it could be caved in, it could have a dead elevator at the end. For now it signaled away from the horrors behind her, so she would take whatever dubious sanctuary it offered.

She ran down the corridor, with the now free daemons in hot pursuit.

* * *

Prompto couldn't help but gawk at the beauty of Altissia. The statue-lined harbor, surrounded by pastel-colored buildings was easily one of the coolest things he had ever seen. He had no memory of ever having been here before, so he assumed this was a first. However, they had to have taken on Leviathan at some point. He had to have been here. Well, he thought brightly. He just got to experience the awesome first impression twice.

Ravus stepped off the boat and surveyed his surroundings warily. To him, gawking like a tourist left one vulnerable to attack. Gladio was doing the same thing. In his mind, any new surroundings harbored unseen enemies.

"I wish Iggy could be here," Prompto added to the group. "A place like this has to have awesome food."

Luna smiled wistfully. "Noctis and I were supposed to have married here. It, somehow seems overwhelming. I'm glad we married in Insomnia instead. Well, married as in, you know," she replied, flustered.

"I know what you mean," Prompto reassured.

"So, where to, Highness," Gladio asked tersely, back to business.

"We need to speak to High Minister Claustra, and get her permission to visit Leviathan's shrine," Luna replied.

"Claustra," Ravus replied, confused. "Who is that? The leader right now is Darius Accordo. I have never met him personally, but we have exchanged diplomatic missives."

Luna bit her lip. Darius Accordo was Altissia's King 30 years ago. He had died when she was a little kid. He had been the last of the Altissian royal line. She secretly wondered if Niflheim had had a hand in his death. It seemed strange to her that Altissia had adopted a "neutral" stance against the Empire, shortly after. The fact that he was here now must indicate that Claustra was still alive. She had never met Claustra's predecessor. How would she explain what she wanted?

Ravus was looking at her pensively. "I, assume, Claustra is his successor, and is still alive," he stated.

She nodded. Ravus's perception really was uncanny. Even Prompto was looking at him in surprise. "You know, you're a lot like Iggy in the thinking department," he ventured.

Ravus smiled thinly. "I suppose that is your attempt at a complement. I shall take it as such," he replied, as though granting Prompto the greatest of favors.

"You certainly aren't like Iggy in the easy to get along with department," Gladio snarked under his breath.

The four made their way to the customs line, just for the official to do a shocked double-take. "Queen Luna Lucis Caelum, King Ravus Nox Fleuret," he floundered in surprise, before clumsily doffing his bicorne hat and bowing, sweeping his hat on the ground cavalier-style. "Um, his Grace will want to know you are here. Will you kindly come with me?"

"We come in peace, I assure you," Ravus replied firmly.

The official nearly nodded and escorted them to the port offices to cool their heels while he notified King Darius Accordo of the delegation's arrival.

* * *

"So, Luna has already been here," Noctis asked Titan.

"Yes. She commanded me to return her memories to her and her colleagues. It was a hard bargain, but I complied in the end. I suppose you want the same thing?"

"Nah. Bahamut took care of that for me. Iggy, Cor, you guys good?"

Cor nodded tersely.

Ignis looked at Titan for a moment. "I find my memories are, disordered. Would it be possible for you to give my memories back in such a way as to have them in the correct order? It may help me reconcile the, er, two timelines better."

Titan shook his head. "You are experiencing the risk of madness that I have warned everyone about. I cannot improve upon what you already have. You must reconcile the memories in your own way, else you will be swallowed up into oblivion, where all other dead souls go. However," he added upon seeing their horrified looks. "The fact that you are still as functional as you are despite having all your memories back tells me that you will succeed. You can come to terms with it on your own."

"Were Luna, Gladio, and Prompto, ok when they left here," Noctis asked, an edge to his tone.

"Your queen and lead soldier left here seemingly unscathed. The boy, not so much. He lost consciousness when I restored his memories. If he did not regain it, then I very much fear for him. However, I cannot grieve. Even if he faded away, he knew the risk, and is in a place of peace."

"So, you absolve yourself of responsibility simply because you warned him in advance," Cor replied coolly. "Forgive me for being blunt, but I can't say I approve of what you guys are doing. You are letting one of your own run rampant out there unchecked and can't even aid those who seek to resolve it."

"Ifrit is our brother. We cannot kill one of our own. Technically we should not even be aiding those seeking to destroy him. However, we are making exceptions in your favor. You should at least be grateful."

"Grateful. Yeah, thanks for your help," Noctis replied, an edge of sarcasm in his tone. "Come on guys. Let's mosey."

The stakes had suddenly gotten much higher. If there was a risk of oblivion with every confrontation with an astral, it didn't matter if they got to Ifrit or not. Any astral they met could destroy them. Noctis had to recover his wife and friends, and fast. If he already lost Prompto…no. He wouldn't think of that. The only way around it was through it.

* * *

The tunnel was long and dark. Aranea was hoping like hell the battery of her flashlight would hold. If it did not, she would be trapped in the darkness, and would be doomed. She was not running into any daemons, luckily. However, she knew the ones from the lab were probably following. She hoped not, but she couldn't bank on getting her wish in that matter. With as long as this tunnel was, there had to be a way out. It had better not be caved in.

She almost bumped into the elevator—it came up quite suddenly. Her shoulders slumped in disappointment. She had hoped it would be a stairwell. She could do nothing with an elevator in a no electricity scenario. As she stood, pondering her options, she heard the hisses from down the hall. The daemons were catching up. Without really thinking it through, she used her lance to wedge the elevator doors open. The elevator itself was there, not that she could do anything with it. However, at least it was not blocking the elevator shaft.

Could she, climb up? She pointed her flashlight at the ceiling of the elevator. There was a hatch in there. She could see the hole on the side indicating a handle. Luckily she was a dragoon, and jumping was one of her specialties. She jumped up, grabbed the handle, pulled open the hatch, and leapt through it just as the horde of daemonic pursuers stormed the elevator.

If they were more clones of her, they could jump up with her, she thought in horror. She watched them glaring up at her—their glowing eyes piercing the darkness. They were hopping up and down, but it was not enough to reach her. Until one daemon climbed onto another one's shoulders.

Shit, she thought, raising her lance. As soon as the first one cleared the hatch, she was ready, and impaled it. It screeched in pain, but disappeared with a fluff of black mist. They were weak ones, it seemed, Aranea thought in relief. From there it became a sick version of Whack A Mole. As soon as one cleared the hatch, she was there to strike it down. It didn't matter if they had her genes or not. Right now they were a threat and had to be eliminated. She lost track of how many she had vanquished, until they stopped coming. She peered down, using her flashlight for guidance, and the elevator was clear. She had taken care of all of them.

That was one problem solved, she thought in relief. Now, how to get out? The elevator shaft appeared to be metal mesh on all sides, with the holes large enough to leave room for footholds. She "could" climb it, if she was a parkour master. It wasn't like she had a chance to gauge her skills. It was her only way out. She took a deep breath, placed her foot into the first hole she could reach, then started climbing.

She didn't want to know how far it was, or if it had caved in. If she thought about how far she had climbed so far, she would panic and likely fall to her death. Up was the only way to go. Was it just her imagination, or was the darkness a little brighter? The pitch blackness had become a deep gray, like the light of pre-dawn. Her arms were aching—even her feet encased in sturdy boots were beginning to hurt. She couldn't last much longer.

She had reached the top. There was a set of doors, that were closed. How the hell was she supposed to wedge them open while crawling up the wall? She needed both hands and feet to keep herself from falling. It was so frustrating! She was so close, but for want of one goddamn door, she was still trapped. She needed her lance to wedge the door open, but even letting go of the mesh to grab her lance would cause her to plummet to her death.

She couldn't die, not now. She had to share the truth with someone. Then she thought of something. Her belt. It was sturdy leather. Would it hold her weight if she tied it to the mesh? If it did, it would give her her hands back?

She only had one shot at this. Even though every instinct warned her against it, she let go of the mesh with one of her hands—the other protested at the sudden strain. She took her lance and stuck it through the mesh to hold it in place. It was like a see-saw though. The slightest jar would make it fall.

Then she took a break by returning her second hand to the mesh. "Come on, you can do it," she told herself, as she let go once more to unbuckle her belt, one handed. At least she could see a little bit without needing her flashlight. Through the tiny bits she could see, and by feel, she got her belt loose. She couldn't let it fall. With desperate dexterity, she threaded it through the mesh wall then rebuckled it. It had just enough room to loop around properly. Her belt was now holding her to the wall. As long as the belt held.

She let go with one arm once more, and grabbed up her lance. Now was the moment of truth. "Please don't die," she whispered to herself as she willed her sweaty hands to let go of the wall. For one terrified moment, she thought she would plummet to her death, but the belt stopped her. She could feel it protesting though. It wouldn't hold long.

She grasped the lance with both hands, stuck it in the gap between the doors, and pushed with all her might. With a rusty creak, the doors gave way, leaving a person-sized gap. She wanted to holler in triumph, but she should wait until she was actually through the door. Now she had to release the belt without falling. She unhooked it one-handed with the same technique as before. It clanked loose, then fell. There was no way to salvage it. With quivering arms, she made the last bit of her climb to get as close to the door as she could, then threw herself through it.

She landed flat on her face on a cracked tile floor, with the wind temporarily knocked out of her. But she had made it back up, and got a firsthand look at the carnage the earthquake had left behind.

* * *

 **Hope you don't mind me throwing another OC in. Altissia was kind of short on characters, and it's hard to say who survived in game and who didn't, so I decided to make one who is "already dead". Anyways. Till next time!**


	14. Chapter 14: Setbacks and Schemes

**Hey there! Stuff is about to get crazy in my "real life", so I wanted to get some chapters published now in case I don't have time for awhile. And I have a new follower! Welcome aboard ovenfreshh! Thanks to everyone as always. Here we go:**

* * *

Belenus stared down at his charge, still lying unconscious on the cold, marble floor. The crystal really was powerful under the boy's control, Belenus thought smugly. But it was evident that he had trouble controlling it. Oh well, Belenus would make Lux use it. And if killed him in the end, well, that would be just too bad.

Gralea was done for. Belenus knew enough about the crystal and what Lux had unleashed to know what had happened. Gralea would be nothing but a crater now. It was a shame it was abandoned—if Lux had been able to eliminate a bunch of humans in the bargain, all the better. Oh well. There was always next time. And there would be one.

That thought filled him with excitement. He wanted to celebrate his victory, preferably with Iris…she still owed him for snooping on and defying him. His lips split into a predatory smile as he thought about what he could do to Iris. Lux said he could not "hurt" her. Did he count depriving her of food and basic hygiene as "hurting"? What if Belenus pelted her with little sparks? A single spark didn't "hurt" but many in quick succession would add up, and show her he was not to be trifled with.

Or, maybe he should just "touch" her. It was what she seemed to fear most from him. It still seemed strange. These humans were more frightened of anything related to procreation that was not with their "true love" than they were with being killed outright. What bullshit. She should be more scared of physical torture, but the woman didn't seem to care about that.

The image of Shiva popped into his head, unbidden. She would have had quite a bit to say about all of this. That nagging woman. She had believed in "love" and had loved humans, and him, in that order, he thought bitterly. Shiva loved humans more than she loved him, and was even willing to kill him for humanity, he reflected with a surge of anger. After he was done here, he would track her down and make her pay too. He refused to examine why the notion made him feel, hollow.

In the meantime, Iris was not paying him his proper due, as suited his station. She had cowered before him when he showed her his "true self" but that wasn't enough. He needed her groveling, begging him for mercy, as all humans should. And he doubted she was ready for that, yet.

But for now his hands were tied. Lux was annoyingly persistent that she not be harmed. And Lux was alarmingly fragile. If not even Belenus obeyed his royal decrees, Lux would give up on himself, and not use the crystal at all. Lux needed one loyal subject, to keep him confident, and compliant to his "loyal subject's" wishes. And Belenus wasn't going to jeopardize that for the sake of one frail captive woman.

No, he would leave her alone. A few days festering in her cell alone with no food and just toilet water to drink wouldn't kill her, but it would break her spirit, which was a benefit. And if Lux decided to release her, or if she escaped, then she would be fair game, as far as Belenus was concerned. It didn't matter where she fled. He would track her down, and then make her suffer. For now, he had a king and a crystal to deal with.

Lux was still unconscious. Belenus bent down, picked up the boy in his arms, then carried him to the sofa in the receiving room. He needed the boy to be comfortable and to regain his strength fast, so he could use the crystal again, on something much bigger.

* * *

Aranea surveyed what was left of the imperial capital in shock. She wondered in a daze how the hell she had survived. It was as though something high-impact had landed, and obliterated everything. For want of four blocks, it would have been her. Even the ground under her feet was slowly cracking, like a frozen pond about to give way. She had to get the hell out of here before the earth beneath her feet gave way completely and buried her for real.

Zegnautus Keep was cut clean off its foundation and was leaning against a neighboring building, doused in dirt and dust from the unsettling of the earth. Ominous groans told her both buildings would collapse imminently. How the hell had she made it, she wondered again. By all rights she should have been buried under the rubble. Instead the elevator shaft had dumped her at ground level 3 blocks away from where Zegnautus Keep had been. She didn't see her car—she assumed it was long gone.

What the hell had happened? Was it an earthquake, a meteor? She couldn't tell, and there was no point in speculating. She turned and walked briskly away. She wanted to run, but the slightest rough impact may cause a cave-in. She would get to a safe distance, then run like hell.

* * *

"Even the waiting rooms are nice here," Prompto commented to his comrades.

"This is the royal palace," Ravus replied condescendingly.

"Hey, at least they didn't stuff our asses in prison," Gladio replied.

Luna was looking around. "Does this place seem familiar to anyone?"

Everyone replied in the negative.

"Does this mean, I never made it here? Did I, die before communing with Leviathan," Luna asked aloud, seemingly to herself.

Ravus patted her shoulder awkwardly. "I think you must have made it to Altissia. Otherwise you would have those memories already. I, do wonder what happens when we remember our, deaths though."

"Should we really talk about this now," Prompto asked.

"Perhaps you are right. The walls may have ears," Ravus replied.

The ornate blue and gold door swung open.

"Dear friends. Welcome to Altissia, the jewel of Accordo, if I do say so myself," the man who entered greeted effusively.

Luna turned to regard the man who had to be His Royal Highness Darius Accordo. He was a short, heavyset man in his early 50's. His hair, once black evidently, was now peppered with gray. His handlebar mustache quirked up when he smiled, as he was doing now. His eyes, one of which was behind a monocle, were dark, as though he had seen his fair share of the world's ills but didn't let them faze him.

"Ah. The Fair Queen Luna," he commented when he approached Luna. "Forgive me for having missed your wedding. However, I was unavoidably detained here. I hope you liked the wedding gift I sent though." He took her hand, bowed over it, and kissed it before she could guess his intent.

"Ah, yes. I understand entirely," Luna replied, embarrassed by his effusiveness. "Thank you for your consideration in sending us a gift. Noctis and I liked it very much."

Gladio and Ravus looked at King Darius suspiciously. He straightened and turned to Ravus, offering his hand to shake. In an effort to be civil, Ravus complied, getting his hand shaken hard in response.

"It is indeed an honor to have the royal families of both Insomnia and Tenebrae here. However, where is King Noctis?"

"He is, unavoidably detained," Luna replied coolly, in tones that brooked no further comment.

"That is unfortunate," King Darius replied. "So, what brings you to my fair city? If it is fresh air you want, I fear you came to the wrong place," he replied with a chuckle. "I fear the canals tend to smell unpleasant in this weather."

"I, have come to visit the Hydrean's Shrine," Luna replied.

He raised his beetle brows, causing his monocle to pop out and hang from his ear. "You need to commune with Leviathan? Why?"

Now was the time Luna needed to tread carefully. She could not tell him the truth—even if he believed them when they said they were dead, he would find out the truth about himself that may be ugly. They didn't want to shatter his existence if they didn't have to.

"As Queen and Oracle, it is customary for me to commune with each of the Astrals to get their blessing for the union, and to assure them that we will continue protecting the crystal. I have already met with Ramuh and Titan. Leviathan is next up on the list." She concluded with a disarming smile—he couldn't know how grave the situation really was.

Darius gave her an intent look. Did he guess she was lying?

"Surely for an occasion such as this, your husband would come with you," he replied.

"Damn! She hadn't thought of that, but it really was a pretty obvious conclusion.

"Just as it is bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding, it is bad luck for bride and groom to go together on this journey," Ravus piped up, covering for her. "As her brother, I am offering her protection in Noctis's stead, with the other two here providing further backup."

King Darius looked to the four of them. "Three powerful warriors joining a quest like this? Are you expecting some kind of danger?"

"No way," Prompto replied brightly. "We are part of the Queen's royal guard, so where she goes, we go. It doesn't matter how frivolous the reason—we are down with it."

That seemed to mollify King Darius. His wary look faded.

"Unfortunately, the shrine has seen better days. It is not in the best part of town. I would be morally negligent if I allowed you to go there without some kind of warning. However, I want your union to be successful. I do not want to stand in the way of any traditions you may have. And seeing as you do have guards, I think you be safe enough if you care to go. I insist on it being tomorrow morning though. For tonight, you will all be my guests! We shall serve you the finest food and wine Altissia has to offer. You shall sleep in bedchambers overlooking the Grand Canal, and in the morning, my gondoliers will sail you right to the Hydrean's doorstep."

"We appreciate it, but we don't mean to impose," Luna felt compelled to protest.

"I quite insist on it. Royals like yourselves deserve better than our hotels, as grand as they are. You will be offered the finest in Altissia hospitality. Besides, it has been so long since I entertained, that it would really be a treat for me. If you don't mind?"

He seemed so hopeful, and genuinely interested in being a good host to them, it would be churlish to refuse. "We are quite grateful for your hospitality," Luna replied, resigning herself to a slight delay in her mission.

* * *

"So, you say Prompto was functional when he was here," Noctis asked Ramuh in relief.

"Of course. I provided what little I could to them, and they moved on," the lightning astral replied.

"And you say Ravus was with them," Ignis piped up. "That would explain the lack of mobile phone reception."

"Where are they headed," Cor asked, all business.

"I told them to see Leviathan next. She can restore more of their memories than I can. However, she may be resistant to do so. I have asked her to do so, but she says the memories are too painful, and she cannot in good conscience provide them."

Noctis tensed. "It is because Luna died there. Dammit! I need to get to her, before she finds that out."

"She may need to know though," Cor replied. "If she is going to help deal with Ifrit, she needs to know everything."

"I, need to warn her. She needs to know what she is getting into. I, don't want her bindsided by horror," Noctis replied, pain in his voice.

"You are selling Luna short, Your Highness," Ramuh spoke up. "She is fully aware of what she is doing, and is ready for whatever she is given."

"I, still need to be there for her," Noctis replied.

"Onwards to Altissia then," Ignis replied prosaically.

* * *

"Wakey wakey, Highness," was the first thing Lux heard at the edge of his consciousness.

He sat up, realizing he was curled up on a sofa, with Belenus seated in an armchair opposite, smirking at him.

"What, happened," Lux asked. The last memory he had was being in the throne room. "How did I get here," he added in increased desperation.

Belenus sighed wearily as though Lux had just asked the dumbest question in the world. "You passed out after using the crystal to finally destroy Gralea. I went ahead and carried you here. I could have left you on the floor, you know, sleepyhead," he added tauntingly.

Lux ignored it, only focusing on the word "destroyed."

"What do you mean, I destroyed Gralea," Lux demanded.

"The crystal should refresh your memory," Belenus replied.

Lux didn't understand how, but he would take whatever advice his mentor gave him right now. He returned to the throne room and approached the crystal. He studied the black gem intently. Wait, black? Wasn't it blue before? That thought fled from his mind as something began to take shape within the dark glass. He saw a city, or what was left of one. There were skyscrapers leaning against each other like dominos, surrounding a gaping crater so deep and dark that there was no bottom. He was hypnotized by the dark abyss for one moment until he returned his glance to the buildings. He recognized Zegnautus Keep. The chaos was Gralea.

He stepped back, awestruck for a moment.

Belenus watched him suspiciously. If he started lamenting about "what have I done," Belenus would kill him.

"That—is—AWESOME," Lux chortled in glee as though he had just won a stunning victory. "Who's going back to Gralea? Not me! It is outta here!" Lux fairly danced in glee. It seemed he had no notion of the destruction he had caused. He just figured it was cool, which suited Belenus just fine.

"Yes," Belenus smiled. "The crystal will take care of everything that upsets you. It answers to you, and only you." Belenus finished his comment by kneeling before his king and bowing his head. "I am forever your loyal servant, Your Highness," he spoke fervently.

Lux answered with a smug smile that would have made his father, Ardyn, proud.

* * *

 **Feedback (good or constructive bad) always appreciated. Thanks a bunch for reading!**


	15. Chapter 15: Banquet of Destruction

**Hi Everyone! I'm trying to do some postings in quick succession since I may not be able to post for a bit-bunch of real life stuff hitting at the same time. So without further ado...**

* * *

The royal dining room of the Altissa Royal Palace certainly looked the part, Prompto thought, gaping at the tapestries and the gold candelabras.

The dining table was designed for a much larger group, but King Darius Accordo still managed to fully cover it with a delectable assortment of different dishes, ranging from exotic fish that Noctis would dream of catching, to noodle dishes tasty enough to make Gladio question his love of Cup of Noodles.

Gladio must be fan of Altissian cuisine, if his "pigging out" in front of King Darius was any indication. He was unabashedly refilling his plate and sampling anything he could get his hands on. Luna glanced at King Darius warily, in case Gladio was offending him. He just beamed, a proud host thrilled that his chefs passed muster.

King Darius glanced her way. "Is the food not to your liking, Queen Lunafreya," he asked in genuine concern, having noted her picking at her food.

"Oh! That is not it at all. It is quite good. I, am just not hungry." She knew what she could be facing upon the morrow with Leviathan, and was in no mood to eat. Remembering how she had felt after Titan had bestowed her lost memories, and seeing Prompto nearly broken by them, she was terrified for what Leviathan would do to her. To them all.

"You should eat, sister," Ravus spoke from his place at the table, in between polite bites of risotto. "You need all the strength you can muster for the Hydrean."

Luna sighed, not liking her brother's condescension. "I'm saving room for dessert, brother," she snarked back.

"Good idea," King Accordo chimed in in an effort to dispel a potentially brewing sibling squabble. "My pastry chef has outdone herself with the baked goods. I'm not sure what you are fans of, so I have requested a mocha cake for you chocoholics; seasonal fruit compote for those watching their waistlines, and coconut gelato snowballs for those who want to sample our famous gelato.

Prompto brightened. "Would it be ok if I sampled one of each," he asked the table at large.

"Fine with me," Gladio replied. "However, Iggy might have something to say about it."

"Have something to say about what," Ignis chimed in from the doorway.

The diners reflexively dropped their silverware in shock—the cacophony of clinking dishes echoing on the high ceiling. They turned as one to see Ignis, Noctis, and Cor standing there, preceded by a butler.

Luna stared at her beloved, alive, alert, in shock. He was staring at her. She couldn't gauge his expression, but she felt a sinking sensation, as though he was here to call her to account.

King Darius rose. "King Noctis! What an honor it is to be graced with your presence. Queen Lunafreya and King Ravus said you would not be joining us." With a fluid wave from their employer, the dining room attendants smoothly set out three more place settings for their additional guests.

Noctis gave a thin smile. "Whatever gave you that idea," he replied, a dangerous edge to his tone.

"It's the ritual you know," Ravus replied. "Luna must commune with the Astrals without her husband to get their blessing, _remember,"_ he added meaningfully, in a desperate effort for Noctis to get the hint.

Prompto ruined it. "I'm so glad you are ok dude! We were so worried about you. We thought you were a goner for sure, so we came out to…" he broke off, realizing what he had done.

"Please eat, all of you," King Darius stated firmly. "We shall talk after," he added jovially, but the dark edge was there.

The group complied, eating the suddenly most awkward meal they had ever had.

* * *

"Shouldn't I, address the people or something," Lux asked his mentor. "I mean, I am king now. They will want to know who I am."

Belenus shook his head. "Still angling for popularity are you," he commented, a sharp edge to his tone. "Being king is not about being popular. It is about being powerful. There are many kings who forbid their subjects to ever look at them. It adds to their power."

"Besides," he continued. "There is still a lot of doubt about your legitimacy as ruler. If you go out now, they may ask you some questions, especially about what happened at Galdin Quay."

"What do you mean," Lux asked, uncertainly.

"Rumors have spread that you set the fire."

"But! I didn't! It was you! And I didn't even know you were going to do anything until the fire was already started!"

"Do you want to tell the people that,' Belenus asked. "By all means, pin all the blame on me. However, what do you think would happen to you then?"

Lux looked to him uncertainly.

"People don't like those who blame others. They will still look down upon you. And then I will be gone, and you will be all alone in this castle. Alone, like you were in that tube in Gralea, but without me to end your torment. Can you really handle that?"

The look of panic on Lux's face told Belenus everything.

"Then, what should I do," Lux asked.

"Destroy the evidence. Galdin Quay is a monument to your culpability right now. With it, er, dealt with, there will be less focus on the fire. Use the crystal. It will do your bidding, as it did for Gralea. It will ease your suffering."

"But, there are people there. They could be hurt," Lux replied desperately.

"There were people in Gralea too," Belenus lied. "It was a bustling city. Are you saying it was ok to kill them, but not residents of Galdin Quay?"

"That, can't be true! I thought Gralea was abandoned," Lux floundered, eyes beginning to take on a daemonic glow in his panic.

Belenus smirked. "Face it, lad. You have already disposed of thousands of humans. You cannot go back. The only path is forward. If you want to be King, you must show your power." Upon seeing Lux's uncertainty, Belenus took Lux's ice-cold hand in his and led him to the crystal. "Make the sacrifice," Belenus added coaxingly. "Be the king you were born to be. I am here for you."

Lux placed his hands on the crystal. Black mist swirled around his fingers as he commanded the crystal to do his bidding. In his tormented mind, he whispered, "destroy Galdin Quay, but make it as painless as possible."

The lights of the throne room flickered, but did not go off this time. The crystal flashed, then a beam of black light erupted from it, streaming out the window towards Galdin Quay. Lux staggered, but stayed upright.

"Is it, done," Lux asked weakly.

Belenus simply nodded, then took Lux's hand and led the weakened, staggering boy back to his throne to sit down.

* * *

The inhabitants of Galdin Quay didn't know what hit them. It didn't matter whether they were tourists there for the day, retirees living out the rest of their lives there, or workers at the resort. They all watched in confusion as a black beam of light streaked across the sky. This confusion morphed into horror as the tranquil turquoise sea rose, a sudden tidal wave. It arrived too fast for them to even think of running to higher ground. They had zero warning. The sea they revered had become a monster, set to destroy them.

In an instant Galdin Quay was submerged under 30 feet of water. The once bustling resort had been reclaimed by the ocean. And the ocean didn't give up its dead.

* * *

"So, you are saying you have lost your memories. And only the Six can give them back," King Darius asked his royal guests, very confused.

"Yes," Luna replied. "We have been getting them back piecemeal from Titan and Ramuh. Leviathan should have the rest."

"You don't have to do this, Luna," Noctis cut in desperately.

"This is not helping," Ravus countered.

Noctis subsided with a frustrated sigh.

"I still get the impression that you are not telling me the whole truth," King Darius commented. "While dissembling is standard procedure in diplomacy, it will not suffice in this case. Tell me everything."

The party looked to each other uncertainly.

"You forget," King Darius added affably, but with a hard edge, "I am King here. I have interrogators that can get this out of you by force if I so choose."

"You will probably think we are still lying to you after we tell you this, but that cannot be helped," Ignis began, and told him everything.

King Darius heard him out, and looked intently at the others to see if he could gauge the truth by their body language. All were in agreement, which told him a lot.

"It, sounds to me like we have been given a pretty cushy existence, despite being 'dead'," King Darius replied. "Why do you want to throw that away?"

"Because it is an illusion," Noctis exclaimed. "I can't vouch for the others here, but I for one would rather deal with the truth, regardless of how painful it is, than live in a static paradise."

"I agree," Luna said, taking Noctis's hand in hers to prove a point.

"I wouldn't be here with them if I disagreed," Gladio chimed in, with an emphatic nod in agreement from Prompto.

"I like my world to be clear," Ignis piped up. "And living amid lies goes against that. I too want the truth, regardless of what it is."

"I don't like lies, either," Ravus replied firmly. "Once I know they exist, I must root them out, one way or the other."

King Darius looked at the group in stark disbelief. "I suppose that's why you were able to return light to the world," he replied. "If we are indeed trapped in a paradise, I for one welcome it. If I was chosen to be part of it, who am I to question it? I won't stop you from escaping from it though, if that is what you really want. However, I find it expedient for you to go to the Hydrean immediately. Under the circumstances, I think you should go on your own."

So, he was relinquishing his hospitality, Ravus concluded. Under the circumstances, it could be a lot worse.

"We understand, Your Highness," he intoned. "We should be able to find our way from here."

With that, the group left the palace to meet Leviathan, and whatever she would give them.

* * *

It didn't look so bad, Lux thought when he looked into the crystal to see how Galdin Quay was doing. It looked to be an ocean, lapping smoothly at the shore. However, he had been there before. He knew what it was "supposed" to look like. The beach he had visited, the resort he had stayed in, no longer existed. The "shore" was much further inland than it had once been.

How many people had died, a dark voice whispered in his head. He shook his head to clear it. He had done what he needed to do. Now nobody would know what he or Belenus had done there, and his status as king would be unquestioned. It was as Belenus said. He had passed the point of no return. If he kept lamenting about all the lost lives, he would "weaken", and nobody would respect him. He had to move forward, using the crystal as he must. He was king, and that's what kings do.

Still, he felt so alone. Even with Master Belenus by his side. Then he remembered. Iris was still here. He would go and talk to her!

He made his way to the elevators.

"Going somewhere, your Highness," Belenus asked him.

Lux jumped guiltily for a moment. Then he rallied. "I was, just going to check my prison facilities," he replied.

Belenus looked at him like he had grown a second head. "Prisons are temporary facilities at best. They are to show the people how 'merciful' you are while conveniently providing a place for your enemies to 'disappear'. A true king does not keep prisoners for very long. There are reasons incinerators and sewers exist in dungeons," Belenus added darkly.

"Precisely," Lux replied, brightly. "I need to see what facilities my family has, and get an idea of how I should treat my prisoners."

Belenus looked over at his King pensively. Should he show Lux the "proper" way to treat a prisoner in his power? Iris would be a good training tool for that. However, Lux's elastic morality was still there. Oh, he was improving—Gralea and Galdin Quay ravaged in 24 hours attested to that. However, he would probably still balk at seeing his mentor torture someone firsthand. Belenus would have to delay that lesson a bit longer.

"If you are planning on seeing Miss Iris," Belenus spoke up. "Take care that she doesn't escape. If she does, or if you decide to do something like…release her, I will see her as no longer being under your protection," he added ominously.

Lux took a deep breath to ask Belenus what he was planning on doing to her, but the look on Belenus's face stopped him. He knew he didn't want to know, and knew he had to keep Iris safe somehow. Instead he plastered a smug smile to his face. "Release her? Of course not. She is the perfect tool to test out my dungeon facilities with."

Belenus beamed. Lux didn't like that smile. "Well, she may try to escape when you are down there. If she does, use this," Belenus replied, giving him a curved dagger with a glowing red blade. "Don't cut yourself with it," he cautioned. "It burns if you do. Save it for Iris."

Lux took the dagger and stared at it intently. "Oh, I will," he replied, darkly. Belenus looked at him uneasily—the kid was reminding him too much of Ardyn. Maybe teaching him how to torture Iris right now would work out. But thinking about Ardyn had pissed him off. And if this kid was that much like him—Belenus would probably end up snapping the kid's neck before they left the elevator. No, the kid was better off alone right now. And if he chose to cross the line into darkness, it would be on him.

The elevator dinged, and Lux got in, alone. As soon as the door closed and the confining box was on its way, Lux's shoulders slumped. Had he pretended well enough? Did he appear strong enough to Belenus? Was this what he would have to keep doing in order to please his mentor? Was this, really the right way to go about things? He shook his head. He was king. He had to do bad things sometimes for the greater good. That was his responsibility. Only he wasn't sure what the "greater good" was right now.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Sorry about Galdin Quay, but there is a reason the crystal should not be in the wrong hands...anyway till next time.**


	16. Chapter 16: Sailing and Subterfuge

**Hey There! I'm an aunt now! First nephew born 2/23/18. I may not be able to have time to write for a bit, but I have another couple of chapters ready to go that I will keep posting as I have time. I know some folks have wondered what Iris is up to-she makes her return this chapter! So with that, here we go...**

* * *

Altissia looked quite different in the midnight darkness. The bright, vibrant city was asleep. The only sounds the muffled splashing of the canals, inky black in the reflection of the night sky. It was mysterious, eerie. The perfect time to see a water God, Prompto thought nervously.

It would have been nice if King Darius could have given them transportation to the shrine, but after hearing their case, his support had dried up. They were down to Ignis's grappling hook and Noctis's warping ability to maneuver from rooftop to rooftop. It was slow going.

"Is this really the only way," Ravus cut in scathingly, peering across at a large jump they would have to make across the Grand Canal.

"What's the matter? Afraid of Noctis's 'reach around' during a warp," Gladio snarked back.

Ravus sniffed contemptuously. "I just think this process is inefficient. That's all," he replied.

"I happen to agree with you. Which is why I commandeered this," Ignis called up smoothly to the group. They looked down to see Ignis pull up to the quay with a motor boat.

"Where the hell did you get that," Cor asked him.

"And when did you leave the group," Noctis asked.

"And how many people yelled at you for the noise," Prompto added.

Ignis sighed. "That is not important right now is it? Anyone want a lift, or do you want to keep grappling?"

"I'll take the ride," Luna said, beginning to climb down the fire escape to make her way to the boat. Noctis was faster, pulling her into his arms and warping her to the pier.

"I could have gotten down here myself," she replied peevishly.

"Yeah I know. Want to make something of it," Noctis challenged gently. They had not had a chance to speak about how he had woken up, or about her journey, but those unspoken things were still there as gauntlet between them.

He warped back up. "Ferry service to the ferry," he called out to the remaining rooftop group dryly. Prompto took him up on his offer. Cor responded with grappling down the wall himself. Gladio and Ravus opted to climb down the fire escape ladder.

"I guess you don't want Noctis's 'reach around' either," Ravus taunted Gladio mockingly from his position below him on the ladder.

"It's a long way to fall if I kick you in the face right now," Gladio returned.

With everyone settled in the boat, Ignis revved it up once more, and started on their way.

"There's some lights going on," Prompto observed. "We are waking people up," he added warningly.

"I was not aware stealth was needed," Cor commented.

"Sorry people," Prompto called out.

The party began their last leg to Leviathan.

* * *

Iris filled her cup up with toilet water for seemingly the 100th time. She would have thought she was wasting her time, except that the red hot glowing lock on the door seemed to be paler now. It gave her hope that with enough effort, the lock would cool, giving her just enough time to pick the lock to make her escape. If nothing else, maybe the growing puddle of water by the cell door would cause Ifrit to slip when he next showed up, which would give her a few seconds advantage.

It had been 24 hours since her last meal, and Belenus had yet to return, or to take her dirty dishes away. She supposed having her live in unhygienic squalor and starving her would be an effective way to kill her without him "hurting" her himself, but it would be a long drawn out process.

The grate of the key in the lock caused her to jump back in alarm. Belenus was back, she thought in terror, and looked for something, anything to stave him off with. She grabbed the metal tray in desperation. Even if she only hit him once, it would be better than doing nothing to him when he attacked her.

She rose the tray, prepared to smash it on him wherever she could land a hit.

"Wait, please," Lux cried out in alarm as he entered the cell.

"Lux," she replied in disbelief, but only fractionally lowered her tray and her guard. He would be easy to overpower, she thought, if she could get over her qualms about attacking a kid.

He glanced at the cell in horror. "Are you, ok," he asked her in shock.

"You need to let me go," Iris demanded.

"I, I'm sorry. I don't want to hurt you. And I don't want Belenus to, either. I know he wants to. I'm doing everything I can to keep him away from you."

"Let me out. That will solve it."

"But it won't," Lux replied in desperation. "He has said, if I let you go, that you will no longer be under my protection. He will come after you, I know it."

Iris's blood chilled. "But why? I am nothing to him."

"He is, afraid that you will tell on us. That you will tell people he, did something to Mr. Cor. Can you, promise not to tell anyone what you saw?"

Iris didn't want to lie, but if it would give her the opportunity to escape, she would promise anything.

"If you will let me go, I will keep silent. It's not like I really know what I saw anyway," Iris lied. She had seen enough to glean some kind of truth, but wasn't about to say it.

"But, if I let you go, Belenus could…"

"Let me worry about that part," Iris said. "If you let me out of this cell, I can do the rest."

"Ok," Lux said, standing back so she could leave the cell. "I will keep Belenus busy as long as I can. He knows I came down here. He thinks I came down to check out the prison, but was worried that you would try to escape. He may be ready to catch you. Just wait ten minutes or so down here before coming up. I should have him away from the elevators by then."

Iris nodded. "Lux," she spoke intensely. "I don't know what Belenus wants with you, but he's a bad man. You need to get away from him as quickly as you can."

"He's not 'bad', really," Lux replied in desperation. It was unclear whether he was trying to convince Iris or himself. "I know he does some 'bad' things. But he saved my life too. I was, stuck in a bad place, and he rescued me."

"I don't think his rescue coincides with your best interest," Iris added desperately. "He will end up hurting you."

Lux backed away. "I'm sorry, for everything," he replied in farewell, then sprinted to the elevators.

Iris wouldn't give him ten minutes. It's not like she didn't trust him to keep his word—it was just that she doubted his ability to lie to Belenus. That fiend would figure it out all too quickly and come for her. One benefit of growing up here was that she knew secret passages. And there was one in the dungeons that went through the sewers. She would use that.

* * *

"So. How did your sojourn in the prison go," Belenus asked Lux as soon as he returned, then stiffened as he saw the hysterical look on Lux's face.

"It, it was an accident," Lux gasped out, horror on his face, blood dripping from his hands. "Iris, tried to escape. I was so desperate. I, used the dagger," he whispered, dropping the bloody flame dagger onto the floor. "There, was so much blood. I tried waking her, but she wouldn't wake up."

Belenus's smug indolence was wiped away. He was genuinely shocked. He had to rally. "It is ok, Your Highness," he replied briskly, to get the kid to calm down. "It was something that had to happen eventually. I would have done it earlier for you if you had given the order sooner. Stay here, calm yourself, and I will deal with her body."

"No! I, I mean, there is no body anymore. I, was able to, move it somewhere where she won't be found."

Belenus studied Lux intently. "You keep impressing me, your Highness. A King must be able to shed blood when necessary, and you have done so. I am proud that you learned this lesson for yourself. She is not worth any further discussion I think. Now, go wash up. I will prepare dinner for us." And with that, Belenus strode off to the kitchens.

Lux staggered to the bathroom. He had to clean and bandage his self-inflicted wound in his hip before Belenus saw it. Belenus never needed to know that the blood on the dagger was not Iris's blood, but his king's.

* * *

The boatload of pilgrims became grimmer and grimmer as they approached the Hydrean's Shrine. Ignis knew full well what had happened here before. Realizing what Luna and Ravus had to face if Leviathan saw fit to grant them their memories made him feel sick. Noctis evidently felt the same way.

"Iggy, stop the boat, please," he demanded.

He complied.

"Luna," Noctis spoke firmly. "You don't have to do this. I, know enough about what happened. You don't need to go through with this."

"I need to," she stated firmly. "I need the full picture, regardless of where it leads."

"This is where she dies, isn't it," Ravus stated.

Nobody replied, but the look on Noctis's and Ignis's faces said it all.

Luna swallowed. "Don't worry about it. I, already know. It's like, I read the last page of a book to know what happens in the end. Now I just need to know how it reached that point. I need this closure, no matter what."

"Do you really want to make your brother and husband relive the grief," Ignis asked coolly.

Luna stopped, stricken, a tormented look upon her face.

"I, only thought about me. Not what others would have to relive. But, we came all this way…"

"Is getting the memories from Leviathan really going to help anything," Cor cut in practically. "I mean, you have enough of the background from Titan and Ramuh. Will Leviathan even add to it at this point?"

"Cor does have a point," Ignis replied. "I am one of the 'lucky' ones who nearly went mad when obtaining the truth. I would like to spare you that, if possible. We can fill you in on the facts, whatever you need to know to find closure, without having to relive any pain. Could you reconcile both timelines with that, do you think?"

Luna looked to the group, uncertainly, then looked to Noctis, willing him with her eyes to offer her some kind of guidance. He could read her all too well, and took her hand in his. "I can't tell you what to do, Luna," he said gently. "I can only stand by you whatever you do."

Luna took a deep breath. "You're right, Ignis. Besides, Ardyn already told me how I died anyway. I have enough pieces to put it together. Leviathan can't give any more than that."

Noctis's voice hardened. "What do you mean, Ardyn told you how you died?"

"I asked him, and he told me," she replied simply. "I just need to know how you all saved the world. And that is after my journey 'ended', anyway."

"I can give you that," Noctis replied firmly

"Not to throw a damper into things, but I have zero memories of the 'alternate timeline' right now," Ravus replied.

"Oh yeah! You're right," Luna replied. "How about we talk to Leviathan anyway, and see what she can do. Maybe she can give you an 'abridged' version or something."

"Seems worth a try," Ravus replied. "Onwards, Ignis."

"That is usually my line," Ignis replied dryly, restarting the engine.

* * *

Iris made her way to the 'torture room'. It was a relic from 1000 years ago, back when justice (or lack thereof) was a lot bloodier. She had only been in here once before, when she, Noctis, Gladio, Prompto, and Ignis had snuck down here as kids to investigate the rumors that it was haunted. Of course they hadn't found anything, but Noctis had entertained them with creepy stories of his "mad ancestors". Ignis had poked holes in his stories enough for Noctis to admit he had made them up on the spot.

Still, they could have told stories of a mystic candy land in there, and it would have still been creepy given the surroundings. There was a stone table in the middle with ominous channels carved out around it, "for blood" Gladio had helpfully enlightened them. There was an iron maiden in the corner, and the walls were lined with rusted manacles and chains. Being untouched for decades (if not longer) just added to the ambiance. Cobwebs lined the corners. The torture devices were covered with a thick layer of dust.

One advantage of so much blood, and so many unfortunate souls to dispose of, was that there was a grate leading to the sewers. A grate that, if pried open, would fit a human. She peered down into the dark hole—they had talked about exploring it all those years ago after Noctis had told them about it, but had been too scared. Was she really going to do this now all alone, Iris thought to herself. What if she got lost down there? She looked at the torch and tinderbox in the corner (left there from a bygone age). Would that really give her enough light?

Still, she would rather risk that than face Belenus? Ifrit? Belfrit? again. She grabbed the rusty grate, and pulled. It was a struggle, even more so since she had not eaten in a day, and her low blood sugar was making itself felt. However, sheer desperation gave her what she needed. With a shrill shriek, the grate moved aside, opening the gaping maw to the sewers. She placed the torch firmly in her waistband, the tinderbox in her breast pocket, and crawled into the abyss.

* * *

 **I put Lux through the paces this chapter, but I figured he deserved a little bit after what he did to Galdin Quay. Feedback appreciated as always. Thanks for reading and till next time!**


	17. Chapter 17: Escape

**Happy March everyone! We are encroaching on what I have done (no time to write these days) but hopefully this weekend will give me some time to get a little ahead. Anyway, here goes and thanks for reading!**

* * *

Aranea hadn't had to live off the land for quite awhile, she mused. However, leaving Gralea with no transportation and with just a weapon and the clothes on her back forced her to. It would be a long way back to civilization. There was no risk of getting lost as long as she followed the rusting railroad tracks. However, food and shelter would be hard to come by.

The ground had become solid again within two miles of Gralea, which told her whatever had befallen it was very localized. Had it really been a natural phenomenon? The fact that daemons were mixed in hinted at something else. And the only daemon she knew of…her blood chilled. Had Lux been able to do something? But, why would he have? She had never gotten the vibe that he was evil—but then again, he did have Ardyn's genes. However, he also had hers.

Perhaps she was biased now that she knew he was part of her, to some extent. However, she had never gotten the vibe that Lux was 'evil'. Belenus, yes, but not the kid. Could Belenus had put him up to this?

She was getting ahead of herself. She had to get to civilization first. Using the last of her cell phone battery, she had tried calling Cor and Iris, just to get no response. That was making her uneasy. For now, she'd have to walk to civilization. But it was getting dark, and she was hungry—a day of parkour had taken its toll.

She would need water soon too. She was so thirsty, she could hear splashes to her right. She had never known you could have audio mirages. But she stopped to listen more attentively. It certainly sounded close. Was it real? Feeling like an idiot, she left the tracks and made her way over. There it was just over the rise. A weed-choked pond surrounded by a ring of brush. And better yet, it was real.

Aranea had found her campsite for the night. A lance could be surprisingly useful. Whacking the sharp metal against a rock created sparks, which built her a fire. Being fast and adept with a lance, she was also able to do some impromptu spear fishing to catch herself a fish. She stared down at her catch smugly. She would have loved to see Noctis's reaction. He was adept with a fishing pole, but could he have done it with a polearm like she did?

She wasn't keen on swampfish sashimi, but putting it on a hot rock was enough to cook it. The meat was sparse and bony—the only way to wash it down was with water from her cupped hands. However, it was the tastiest meal she had ever had. Survival would do that, she mused. She imagined Ignis could have done a lot better with it—his cooking prowess really was impressive, but she was happy enough with her own results.

One day at a time, she reminded herself. Tomorrow had to be better than today.

* * *

The Hydrean's Shrine really had seen better days. Once upon a time, it had been largely enclosed, with a glass dome on top to allow the sun in but storms out. The glass had broken long ago, and was still periodically washing up as sea glass on the neighboring piers.

The stone platform that jutted into the bay was the last remnant. Ravus, Noctis, Ignis, and Luna were on point to meet with Leviathan. Prompto, Cor, and Gladio were back in the boat, prepared for a quick getaway if Leviathan caused problems.

"There is no trident this time," Noctis volunteered. "How will we get Leviathan to speak to us?"

Ravus answered by tossing in a gil. "For you, Hydrean," he intoned.

Luna turned to him in shocked disbelief. "How do you think that will work," she asked, as though he had just done something incredibly dumb.

Any reply was cut off when Leviathan erupted from the water, splashing them all.

"I thought that might work," Ravus said, smugly. "I have read tales of seafarers who lived in fear of her wrath so would toss a gil in the water before every journey in an attempt to appease her."

Leviathan snorted like a whale, spewing more water. "I only surfaced since I expected you all. Money has nothing to do with it. I will not give you what you seek, so you should leave now."

"Please," Luna begged. "I already know I died here. My brother knows it. He just wants his memories before that point. He has seen enough of the falsehoods that he can no longer accept what he was given. He must know his real self."

"She is right," Ravus spoke up. "I do not need to know the tragedy. I already know it. I just need to know what happened before then. What happened to the world."

"I do not deal in half measures," Leviathan intoned. "I would either give all your memories, or none back. I have chosen to give you none. Begone."

"Do you want me to fight you again," Noctis asked flatly.

Leviathan turned to glare at him. "You only won last time because I let you. It will not happen again. You cannot change the mind of a goddess. Leave."

Noctis's hand clenched on his sword. Ravus did the same. They appeared ready to call her bluff.

"We hear you, Hydrean. We shall heed your wishes," Ignis intoned, then grabbed Noctis and Ravus, and practically dragged them away. Luna hurried behind them.

"What the hell was that," Noctis demanded.

"Are you seeking to deprive me of the truth," Ravus demanded, a sharp edge to his tone.

"Hear me out a moment," Ignis replied. "It is apparent Leviathan is stubborn and will not give us what we seek. However, Bahamut might. Based on what I remember, Ravus's path ended in Gralea. Bahamut was in Gralea."

"So, I can approach Bahamut, and he will give me all of it in one fell swoop," Ravus spoke up.

"That's the idea. However, it may be dangerous. I'm not sure what would happen if you got everything at once. I did, and it nearly drove me mad. However, fighting Leviathan is also a risk, and she may decide not to assist us after it all anyway."

"Bahamut gave me everything, and I'm fine," Noctis replied.

"That seems to me to have more certainty of success than Leviathan actually," Ravus said. "I'd like to try that. Where is Bahamut now?"

"Back in Insomnia," Noctis replied.

The party made their way back into the boat to retrace their, in the end, fruitless steps.

* * *

Iris couldn't even define the smell down here. Was it sewage, mold, mildew? It was probably a hodgepodge of all of it, and the party in her nostrils made her want to throw up. Still, she had no choice. If she played her cards right, the sewer path should get her into the city. She just had to make sure she went the right way.

She winced as she stepped in something wet. She could guess what it was. First drinking toilet water, now walking in what was flushed, she thought with an urge to laugh hysterically. She stared uneasily at the tiny nimbus of her surroundings she could see from her torchlight. It was ironic that even after having lived in darkness for ten years straight, she was still afraid of it.

She heard ominous scuttles and crunches all around her. Was it rats, or daemons? Her hands on the torch clenched, slippery with sweat. This was the only weapon she had right now, and it was a pretty useless one.

She almost missed the rusty ladder—it camouflaged with its surroundings in the darkness. She couldn't even see the top of it—it extended past her feeble range of light. Up was good though. But how would she carry a torch and use a ladder at the same time? She thought of carrying the torch in her mouth for a second, but an open flame too close to her face would be a bad idea. She kept it in her hand, and began climbing.

Her luck was in. She was able to grab the ladder and torch with the same hand—it was a weak grip trying to juggle both, but her strength was holding. Bolstered by her confidence, she climbed up another rung. The ominous creak was her only warning. One second she had a rung to stand on, the next minute, the rusted corroded metal had given way. She grasped the sides of the ladder for dear life, only to lose her torch. She dimly saw the ring of illumination moving farther and farther away from her until it hit the ground and went out, leaving her in total darkness.

Amid all of the horror she had faced, she had never screamed in fear and panic. It took all she had to keep from doing it now.

* * *

The lights of Altissia faded in the distance, swallowed up by the dawn's haze. From her position on the ferry, Luna watched it with mixed feelings. Altissia had been a waste of time on all fronts, and she hated wasting time. Should they have pressured Leviathan more? Noctis had said he had fought her before. Could they have done so again?

But then, if Luna did die there, what would happen if she remembered her death? Would it have been some kind of paradox that would "kill" her for real? It was a moot point now. They would return to Insomnia and see what they could do. She glanced over to Noctis, who was busy catching up with Prompto and Gladio. How did she treat a husband she didn't really know? Being childhood sweethearts had been a lie. Was every kiss they had, every touch they had had, been a lie too?

Did he, no longer care for her, now that he knew the truth? If she touched him as she once did, would he turn away? The thought made tears spring to her eyes. Noctis chose that moment to meet her gaze. She turned away, quickly.

"What's wrong, Luna," he asked her gently from behind her. She couldn't face him yet. She was still crying.

She was a master of acting positive even though her heart was breaking. Her time as an Oracle had trained her well in that regard. She used those skills now. "Nothing. I'm fine," she lied brightly.

Noctis wasn't fooled. "Don't give me that," he replied, putting an arm around her waist to turn her to face him.

He studied her intently, seeing her reddened teary eyes. "Please, what is it," Noctis asked beseechingly.

"I, don't know what is real anymore," she blurted out in a frantic whisper. "You're my husband, but we hardly ever interacted in the 'real' world. Is what we have now real? What kind of marriage do we really have? Maybe I should have left all of this alone. Maybe we would have been happy in this illusion."

Noctis sighed. "I have all my memories back. I know what happened, 'then'. Before everything went to hell, I only wanted to marry you. When you, 'died', I felt like I had lost everything. Can I tell you something I have never told anyone?"

"Of course you-" then Luna stopped. "Yes," she said simply.

"I was trapped in that crystal for ten years, honing my body and mind for the power to properly wield it, so when I returned I could set things right. When I finally came back, I imagine everyone thought I was back to reclaim my birthright and to return light to the world even if I had to die to do it. I wish I could really be that noble, but that wasn't it at all."

"What fed me, what gave me the power to take on Ardyn, was bitter anger over what I had lost, and what could have been. I looked at how my friends had aged in that time, and all I could think about was how I could have been married to you for ten years by then. We could have had a family. We could have been happy. I, know it's selfish, and I was never really sure if you really wanted to marry me or if it was just for the peace effort, but I knew how I felt. The fact that I would never know what you had really wanted broke me."

Luna stared at him, the tears beginning to fall again. "I may not have all my memories," she said tenderly. "But I know that I really wanted to marry you. We may have only corresponded through the notebook, but when the ultimatum came that I was to marry you, I was actually, happy. I had been fearing, being forced to sell myself for the sake of peace. But when I found out it was you, it ended up being what I wanted most on my own anyway. I knew we could make something work. I had thought it was too good to be true. I guess it ended up being that way. Except, maybe not if we count now," she added tentatively

Noctis caressed the tear paths on her face shyly, hesitantly with his thumbs. "Even in this world, with all of this going on, the only thing I could focus on was getting to you. I didn't want you to relive your death alone. I didn't want you to meet Ifrit and have him destroy you."

Luna gazed up at him. Suddenly, she didn't care about whether their kisses in this realm, and the feelings around them had been real. She wanted Noctis's kiss more than anything. Except one thing intruded. "Ifrit? I, don't remember having communed with him," she commented, confused.

"He would have killed you if you had," Noctis replied. "He hates humans."

"I can attest to that, seeing as he is the one who sent me here," Cor replied nonchalantly, tactlessly approaching the couple.

Luna and Noctis broke apart, startled. It wasn't like Cor was going to say anything about it though.

"The hell you say," Gladio cut in in astonishment to his mentor. "What happened?"

"Now that we are all together, we should all compare notes," Cor replied. "There is some crazy shit going down. Er, pardon, Luna" he added.

Luna sighed. "I'm not a pure little angel," she replied in asperity. "Just tell me what the fuck is going on."

Prompto stared at her, aghast, as though she were speaking in tongues. Noctis merely gave her a knowing smirk that made her blush.

"I would chide you for your language, sister, but I have heard you swear before," Ravus replied dryly, then stopped. "Or wait? Have I?"

"Yes," Luna stated flatly.

With his King, Queen, and Glaives around, Cor began his tale.

* * *

Iris was trapped alone in the darkness. She was hanging onto a ladder she could no longer see, frozen in panic. Now Iris knew what Ignis had suffered for the past ten years. But, remembering his example calmed her down. Ignis had managed it—no, not only managed, had thrived on it. If he could take down powerful daemons without his sight, she should be able to climb up a ladder.

What that thought galvanizing her for action, she felt around for the next rung. She found it, and began to climb. It was slow going, climbing by feel, but she was making progress. With her vision limited, she had to rely on her other senses. She began to smell fresher air—was she close to the surface? A few more rungs, and she saw a glimmer of light above—the barest pinprick, but it gave her hope.

The pinprick was a hole in a manhole cover. She bent her head, arched her shoulders, and used her back to push at the cover. With a grating sound, she was able to get it to move, just enough to wedge her fingers through the gap to shove it aside. With one last bit of effort, she pulled herself up and out.

It took her a minute to adjust to the lights of the busy city—a costly minute as she heard angry honks. She was standing in the middle of the street with traffic bearing down on her. Behaving purely on instinct, she darted forward, and didn't stop until she reached the sidewalk. She gasped for breath and looked around to get her bearings.

She was a few blocks away from the Citadel. She could see the tall building rising up above all the others, but it was quite a distance from her. From here it looked nondescript—nobody would ever know the horrors going on within. Should she tell one of the passersby who was looking at her quizzically what was going on? She imagined she looked quite a sight. Her shoes were covered with brown sludge—she didn't want to know if it was mud, or something else. There were stripes of rust on her clothes.

She glanced at another citizen, who was reading the newspaper. She did a double-take at the headline. "Galdin Quay Reclaimed by the Ocean."

"Excuse me, can I borrow the front page," she asked. Her voice sounded hoarse, as though she had been screaming for hours. The man looked at her strangely, but handed her the front page without a word.

Galdin Quay, was gone, she asked herself in horror. It was no coincidence. Ifrit had to have done this. But if he did, what could any of them do against a God bent on destroying them? And she was a witness. She had to get away from here, from him, immediately. But she had no phone, no money, no car. Her breath quickened in panic. Ok, one step at a time, she told herself. If she could get out of sight of the Citadel, that would be progress. She began walking briskly away, despite her nerves screaming that she should run as fast as she could.

* * *

 **So, Leviathan ended up being a "red herring" or a black sea monster haha. Will Bahamut or Shiva finally give Ravus what he needs? Here's hoping ;-) Thanks for reading and till next time.**


	18. Chapter 18: Homeward

**Hey Everyone! I managed to write a bit this weekend, but I am still catching up to what I have done. I hope to be able to keep my present posting pace, but we will see. Anyway, here goes. Thanks for reading as always!**

* * *

"So, you're saying Ardyn has a son, who is controlling the crystal, and is in cahoots with Ifrit, and that Ifrit killed you when you found out," Gladio demanded of Cor after hearing everything he had to say.

"That's the gist, yes," Cor replied calmly.

"And Iris was there," Gladio continued sharply.

"Yes. I, fear for her," Cor stated.

"Iris is tough. She'll be fine, right," Prompto asked hopefully.

"Are you crazy," Noctis snapped back. "What the hell can she do against Ifrit? Even we struggled against him."

Prompto's face twisted. "Didn't Shiva take care of Ifrit? Why is he back?"

"Remember the Shiva, Gentiana thing," Ignis volunteered. "The Empire disposed of her, but she reincarnated as Gentiana, just to eventually become her true self."

"That makes sense," Cor replied. "I believe Ifrit took on a human form like Shiva did, named Belenus, to be his vessel in our world."

"But, why," Luna asked. "Shiva did it to hide from the Empire. Ifrit has no need to hide."

Ignis stiffened. "Unless he is attempting to destroy humanity from the shadows."

Everyone turned as one to face him, questions in their gazes.

"I, hesitate to even mention this given that it was given to me by Ardyn Izunia," Ignis continued. "However, he indicated that Ifrit has been attempting to eradicate all humans for at least 2000 years. Ardyn indicated that his own, recent actions, were in an effort to control Ifrit and to keep him from destroying us all."

"So, what? Ardyn is suddenly a misunderstood hero," Noctis scoffed.

"The way he explained it was like this," Ignis replied, telling them everything Ardyn had told him.

The party was stone silent after.

"It, does making a disturbing amount of sense," Luna replied wonderingly. "I know that the crystal was created by the Six. I often wondered why. The weapon thing is definitely a possibility. But, deciding to kill me because I was 'too weak'. Damn him!"

"Agreed! But, that does line up with some of what he told me about being of royal blood and having been scorned by the crystal," Noctis replied musingly.

"Instead of mulling over whether that asshole is telling us the truth, shouldn't we be worried about Iris? She may be in Ifrit's clutches right now," Gladio cut in, teeth clenched, ready for action.

"It won't do any good to worry about that right now," Ravus replied coolly. "There is nothing we can do from here anyway—" he was forced to jump back as Gladio lashed out, ready to hit him.

"Gladio," Noctis cut in firmly. "We all want to save her, and stop Ifrit. As of now, we are stuck here though. However, Bahamut has said we 'may' be able to go back, under two conditions."

"Whatever they are, I will do it," Gladio said, willing to do anything to save his sister.

"First, we all must agree to leave this world and return to the world we left," Noctis replied as though Gladio had not spoken.

Everyone looked at each other. "That shouldn't be a problem, right guys," Luna commented. "We all want to go back, right?"

Everyone agreed.

"Cool," Noctis replied affably. "I didn't want to force anyone to go back. I mean, it is pretty cushy here."

"If you don't mind a pack of lies," Ignis replied dryly.

"Yeah, there is that," Noctis replied with a smirk. "However, if we go back, due to the balance of the universe, or some crap like that, Ardyn goes with us."

"What the hell," Prompto stormed in disbelief.

"Why don't they just give him the world on a silver platter while they're at it," Gladio sniped, just as appalled.

"He would just team up with his son and throw us right back into darkness," Luna replied.

The party seemed ready to devolve into impotent fury.

"Let us look at what actions we can take right now," Ravus cut in coolly. "I for one still need my memories back to be of use to anyone. I say we return to Bahamut and have him restore my memories. Perhaps I will gain some knowledge that will give us other options."

Ignis looked to Ravus in respect. "That does have merit, and does give us something we can do right now," Ignis added. "I say we follow what Ravus says. And Gladio, if Ifrit went too far, we would have likely have encountered Iris by now. Since we have not, I believe we can safely assume that she is alright for the moment."

"The sooner we get out of this shithole the better," Gladio snarked, but subsided.

They could see the shores of Lucis on the horizon. They should be back to Insomnia soon, and had at least some semblance of a plan.

* * *

Cell phones were so ubiquitous in Insomnia that Iris despaired of ever finding a pay phone. She needed to call Cindy, Talcott, Aranea, anyone to get her out of here, but the days of pay phones were long gone. She would have to rely on the dubious kindness of strangers to borrow a cup of cell phone minutes. She knew how she looked—asking to use someone's phone would probably scare them.

She was frightened herself—she peered anxiously around every corner, terrified that she would bump into Belenus. She stiffened any time she saw a redhead. She willed herself to think reasonably. Belenus would stay in the Citadel. There would be no way he'd be out here among the humans.

Who would be a good candidate to approach for their phone? The city was rapidly becoming a hive of activity again, and much like how the cities had been before the darkness. In other words, everyone walked around focused on their own affairs, and ignored everyone else. A businesswoman was walking briskly to her job. A construction worker was climbing down from a scaffold, evidently finishing his repair shift. A group of kids was leaving school. Two businessmen were speaking, and their conversation made her uneasy.

"Where the hell is Chairman Cor with all this stuff going on," one demanded of the other. "Galdin Quay is levelled, and where is he?"

"Yeah. I mean, shouldn't he at least have done the 'my thoughts and prayers are with everyone' speech," the other replied.

"I've heard nobody has been seen entering and leaving the Citadel for several days," the other observed. "What do you think is going on?"

"I dunno, man. Maybe it was too early to move back here."

The men shuffled out of earshot. But the fact that Cor's absence and the weirdness in the Citadel was already being noticed was, well, was it good or bad Iris wondered. On the one hand, it would keep Belenus from operating in secret for much longer. However, it would also panic the populace. Should she say something to one of the police roaming the street corners?

She dismissed that thought immediately. What could police do against the likes of Belenus? Indeed, what could anyone do? Her priority was still getting out of town and touching base with Aranea, Cindy, and Talcott. To that end, she still needed someone's phone. She settled on the construction worker. He was less likely to be concerned about her ratty clothes, she assumed.

She hesitantly approached. The man looked up.

"Looks like you just finished a messy job," he joked.

"Yeah. I just had to inspect the sewers," she said as blandly as she could, in the hopes of explaining why she may look and smell disgusting.

"Ugh. I hear ya. I had to check the main line a few weeks ago. Gross as heck down there, but at least there were no daemon droppings around. I saw tons of that stuff back in the day. I didn't even know those things did 'number two'. And I mean, shouldn't it have disintegrated like they did?"

Iris shrugged awkwardly at the man's effusive unfiltered chatter. "I, actually lost my cell phone in the sewer," she lied. "Could I possibly borrow yours to arrange my ride home? It would be a quick local call."

"Help yourself," the man replied, handing her the phone.

She only had one shot at this. Aranea was pretty far away, last she heard, which left her with Cindy or Talcott. Cindy would probably be under the hood of a car about now and not hear a phone. Talcott it was then. To her immense relief, he picked up.

"Iris! Is that you," he exclaimed. "What is going on?"

"I need a ride," she said firmly. "I'm in Insomnia." She gave the cross street. "Please, as soon as you can."

He heard the desperation in her voice. "What's wrong," he asked sharply.

"Just get here, please," she begged.

"Give me an hour," he ordered.

That hour would be the longest of her life.

* * *

Belenus strode through the market in downtown Insomnia—his arms laden with groceries. It was times like this that he almost regretted disposing of the servants in the Citadel. Why should he, a God, be stuck playing step and fetch it for a spoiled brat of a kid? He calmed himself with an effort. He still needed the kid, and the kid needed things like food and clothes. And with no servants he could trust, the only one who could do it was him.

These humans really had rebuilt disturbingly quickly, he mused. A few short months ago this area had been dark, derelict, and dominated by daemons. It didn't take long for this vermin to reinfest it, he thought bitterly.

He surveyed the humans around him, disgust and fury warring within him. It would be so easy to just snap his fingers right now and burn everyone and everything. But then the rest would hole up, as they had done in the ten years of darkness, and be harder to eradicate. He needed something big and sudden, like the crystal, to do what he wanted. Things were different this time. Ardyn had been a loose cannon that he could not control. Lux was different. In him, Belenus had a pawn who would use the crystal exactly the way he wanted him to.

He turned back towards the Citadel, then stiffened. His gaze fell upon a slight dark-haired woman. She looked a lot like Iris from the back. He sneered. He still felt cheated that he had not been able to destroy her with his own hands. Perhaps this woman would be a sufficient substitute? All he would need to do was grab her, drag her to an alley, then have free reign. He could pretend couldn't he?

He spent too long thinking about it. When he next tried to track her, she was gone, absorbed into the crowd. He glanced around, frantically, but could not find her. He should have acted without thinking, he thought with a flash of fury. He was getting so tired of playing the long game. He just wanted to act and be done with it. However, he had tried that in the past, and had failed. Slow and steady wins the race, he told himself.

And, there would be others. Insomnia would be the last, and most rewarding, conquest. That woman, and any other Iris lookalikes here, would all be smote in good time. He readjusted his grip on the bags, and made his way back to his King.

* * *

Tenebrae had never really seemed like home to Aranea—it was just where she hung her hat and the place she was called upon to protect. However, the rush of elation she felt upon seeing the spires of the remains of the manor told her that maybe it was more of a home to her than she thought.

She would need new shoes, she mused. Her solid leather boots were worn smooth on the bottom from all the walking. She could use good food and the longest bath in history too. But first, she needed to call Cor and Iris and tell them what she knew. But, how could she explain to them that Lux was her son? Would they think less of her somehow? She shook her head. Since when did she care what people thought of her? Facts were facts even if she didn't like them.

She strode into the "City Hall". It was formerly the gatehouse of the manor. It had been one of the few things that had not been damaged, and it had been a good base for operations. As expected, her former subordinates Biggs and Wedge were inside, poring over maps. They still wore their old military garb, even though it had seen better days. She had told them numerous times they could dress casual, but they had always insisted they liked their present attire.

"Should we really allow a branch of Lestallum's power plant to be built here," Biggs asked Wedge. "I mean, it might cause pollution and traffic in that corner of the city."

Any reply Wedge would have made was preempted as soon as he spotted Aranea.

"Lady A," he blustered in surprise, then leapt awkwardly to his feet to salute. Biggs rapidly followed suit.

Even after having promoted them to high ranking officials on par with herself, they still acted as though they were her direct reports, as they had been in their mercenary days.

"At ease guys," she responded with a smirk. "Sorry to drop in unannounced, but I've got a hell of a problem. More than one in fact."

"I figured you'd know about Galdin Quay already," Biggs replied.

"What are you talking about," she asked.

She listened in mounting horror as Biggs regaled her with the dire fate of Galdin Quay. Based on the timing, it had to have happened within a day or so of the incident in Gralea. Two incidents that close together could not be coincidence. There was a threat out there, a potential Ardyn-level threat.

"I need to borrow a phone, and I need it now," she replied sharply.

In response, she was presented with both Biggs's and Wedge's phones to choose from. Upon grabbing one, she called Cor, just to have it ring and ring. Why wasn't he picking up? Then she called Iris, just to have it promptly go to voicemail. What the hell was going on?

"You guys mind looking after things a bit longer," she asked her comrades. "Looks like I've got to go back to Insomnia."

"You got it, Lady A," Wedge replied.

As much as she wanted to speed back there, she knew she would be useless in her present condition. She had to at least feed and clean herself first. Her fatigued body balked at having to go back out on the road so quickly, but she knew she had no choice. After bolting a meal, taking the fastest shower on record, and changing her clothes, she was ready to go back out there. The only vehicle she had access to was a maintenance van. It was certainly not as stylish or as maneuverable as her old car, but it would have to do. Shaking off her mounting exhaustion, she sped back towards Insomnia to find out what had happened to her allies.

* * *

Noctis surveyed his bustling kingdom. However, now he saw it for the sham it was. Upon studying the crowd milling about the Insomnian streets, he saw the crowd was made up of the same ten people. It was like, the Six had ten human "templates" that they just copied over and over. They may be wearing different clothes, but they had the same faces. Arrogant king, he chided himself. Did he really overlook his people so much that he couldn't recognize that they were all copies?

Ignis was looking around warily as well. Was he drawing the same conclusions?

At least the Citadel was familiar. It was the one bit of constancy in this otherwise fabricated world. Noctis, Luna, their royal retinue, Cor, and Ravus all stuffed into the elevator to make their way back up to the throne room. The Six really had thought of everything, Noctis thought cynically. They were even playing the same elevator music that he had heard all through his childhood.

After effusive greetings and welcome backs from the guards, the party made their way into the throne room. It was exactly as Noctis had left it. At least Ardyn was not lounging on his throne this time. The crystal glowed impassively.

"You say Bahamut is in there," Ravus asked. "I'm not sure how I can speak to him since I have no power over the crystal."

"I've got it," Noctis replied, stepping forward. "Bahamut. I need your aid once more." And with that the crystal glowed and began dragging Noctis in. "Wait! Let me rephrase that," Noctis added desperately, fighting to resist the pull. "I need you to help Ravus here restore his memories."

The pull stopped. Noctis, suddenly released from the pull, stumbled backwards. Gladio was there to catch him.

Bahamut's dragon-like reflection appeared in the crystal's glass. His dark gaze pierced Ravus.

"You are the man who tried to claim the Ring of the Lucii," he accused.

"I, did," Ravus replied in confusion.

Bahamut nodded gravely. "In deference to your sister, and for your efforts in returning King Regis's glaive to its rightful owner, we were willing to overlook that and bring you here. If we return your memories to you, you will have to relive pain and anguish. Do you really want that?"

Ravus looked from one to the other. "At the moment, I have no past, no notion who or what I really am. I want to know, even if I find out I was once a monster."

"And if you find out you were this monster, will you decide to become it again," Bahamut asked rhetorically.

"If I do, then I give you and the others leave to destroy me. I would rather face who I really am than make something up because I do not know."

Bahamut's eyes flashed in respect. "Good answer. Just what I would expect from someone who made the turn from antagonist to ally. If you are willing to risk pain, I shall gladly grant you what you seek. Come closer."

Ravus stepped forward without hesitation. Noctis and the others stepped aside to grant him access to the crystal. He stiffened as the crystal began drawing him in.

"There's no point in fighting it, Ravus," Noctis said philosophically. "Enjoy the ride. We will see you, when you get back," he added.

"Be strong, Ravus," Luna said, which was the last thing Ravus heard before being dragged into oblivion.

* * *

 **I even managed a Biggs and Wedge cameo! Now I'm wondering what other "forgotten" characters I can find a place for. Guess I will find out! Royal Edition comes out tomorrow with some new stuff-maybe I can toss in some of that at some point too. Thanks for reading as always. Any feedback is always appreciated :)**


	19. Chapter 19: Cheating a Paradox

**Hey there! I'm lagging a bit on writing, but I have a couple of short chapters ready, so I will start with that. I have gotten sidetracked replaying it. I got the PC edition version of the game and am checking out the new stuff put in for the Royal Edition. I'm sure the new stuff conflicts with what have written ;-) but it may inspire me on what I haven't written so far. Anyway, enough about me-on with the story!**

* * *

Iris was never so happy to see Talcott's run-down pickup truck in her life. It may have looked out of place amid the sleek cars of the city, but it represented her salvation. She barely waited for it to stop before she hopped in.

"What the hell is going on," Talcott demanded as soon as she got in.

"Just get me the hell away from here, please," Iris responded in desperation. Delayed reaction shock was setting in, and she was beginning to feel light-headed.

"Woah, are you ok," he demanded, but his voice was fading out as days of stress, exertion, and too little food took their toll. Now, safely seat-belted in and on the way out of town, Iris slumped over in a dead faint.

* * *

Ravus squinted in the light. He normally loved the color white—his armor attested to that. However, even he had to admit that the endless white void he was standing in was a little much. And he was alone. "Thanks for bringing me in, Bahamut," Ravus commented in an attempt to break the ice.

"You have adjusted to the crystal world quite well," Bahamut intoned from all around him. "However, seeing as your mother and sister were both Oracles, I suppose that makes sense."

"I am aware of the honor you have bestowed upon me," Ravus replied. "I have come to request that you return my memories to me. I understand that you may have them all, up to my death."

Bahamut sighed, causing the whole chamber to reverberate. "Why do you want them," he asked sadly, as though disappointed that another one was rejecting the boon he had given them.

"Noctis and the others need to return to the world of the living to stop the evil brewing there. In order to help them, I need to know my history and what happened. I have bits and pieces of it. I know my left arm was destroyed, I died in Gralea, I was with Luna at the end of her life, and I gave King Regis's sword to Noctis. That is all. I need the rest if I am going to help the others."

"You will help them even if it will unleash Ardyn," Bahamut demanded.

"We, haven't crossed that bridge yet," Ravus conceded. "For now I am beginning with obtaining my memories."

"Before you agree to risk releasing Ardyn Lucis Caelum from his imprisonment, I think you do need to know the circumstances of your death, seeing as he was the cause of it."

Ravus stiffened. "Indeed," was all he said.

"It, appears that we are at an impasse. You want your memories. I must give you your death to show you the truth. However, it would be dangerous for me to provide that. For you to remember your death would be, paradoxical."

"What happens if I remember my own death," Ravus demanded. "Do I, die here?"

"In all honesty, I do not know," Bahamut replied. "This is, the first time we have rearranged reality and granted an existence other than death. However, given the laws of time and space, if one has knowledge of multiple timelines and how they ended, it could break reality. You may end up nowhere—not here, nor the living world, or the realm of the dead. You may become a broken soul with no realm to call home. Do you really want to take that risk?"

"You have just basically told me that Ardyn killed me," Ravus concluded. "Since a pivotal part of helping Noctis could mean unleashing Ardyn, I need to know what he did to me so I can be better prepared to help the others. I need, everything you can give me."

"Very well. Please be aware that this is your own choice, and any repercussions will fall upon you alone. Close your eyes and remember."

* * *

For the second time in her life, Iris was ensconced in a booth in the diner in Hammerhead, huddled over a bowl of soup, doing her best to overcome trauma. She had come to on the road, but had been too drained and out of it to tell Talcott what was going on, despite his demands for answers. She had staggered into the diner, her entire mind and will focused on putting one step ahead of the other.

Cindy had taken one look at her, then rushed away to get her a change of clothes. While Cindy was more comfortable dressing in skimpy outfits, she had been able to come up with a pair of jeans and a tee shirt for her guest. After taking the hottest shower known to humankind and tossing her old outfit in the garbage, Iris plopped down in her present location.

Talcott was pacing aimlessly, waiting for Iris to start talking. Cindy waved him away, presented Iris with her tray of food, then sat across from her in the booth.

"Eat first. Whenever you feel up to talking, hon, I'm here," was all Cindy said, then sat in silence until Iris was ready.

That was the good thing about Cindy, and likely why she was the heart and soul of Hammerhead. She always had a listening ear for any weary traveler who passed through. She heard their woes, lapped up their tales of places she had never been to, served them meals, and fixed up their cars without ever passing judgement.

Cindy's gentle encouragement, contrary to Talcott's demands for what happened, was what Iris needed. It all came out in a flood—everything Belenus had done and said, how she had escaped, her concerns for Lux, her fears for the world.

"I, wish Gladio were here," Iris ended tearfully. "He, would know what to do. I, don't."

Talcott and Cindy looked at each other grimly.

"It sounds like you went through quite a time," Cindy finally said. "Well, I guess that is an understatement. I wish Gladio and Prompto were here, but that dog just won't hunt. We've only got ourselves."

"What can we do," Iris cried out in despair. "Belenus killed Cor. What chances do we have against him?"

"Welp, you did manage to get away from him," Cindy replied briskly. "There is the sayin, 'she who runs away lives to fight another day'. You ran away, and, together, we may be able to fight back."

"Yeah," Talcott replied. "We managed to survive ten years of darkness and daemons. We aren't total losers. And I don't think Aranea will sit this one out. As soon as she hears, she will be on our side as well."

"But, I can't get hold of her," Iris replied in despair.

"Hmm. Biggs and Wedge may know," Cindy replied. "It's worth a looksee I think. I'll be right back."

Talcott sat beside Iris in companionable silence while Cindy did her thing.

With the normalcy of Cindy and Talcott, plus being clean, fed, and safe, Iris was beginning to calm down. And fury at Belenus was setting in. She would make him pay somehow. She may have been nothing but a captive in his power, but that was because she had had no weapons and was unprepared. The next time, she would be armed to the teeth and would fight back. Except the lingering doubt remained. Even with preparation and a gun, what could she do against a God who had killed Cor and had struck down Galdin Quay?

Those dark thoughts were partially interrupted when Cindy returned to the table, a big smile on her face. "Biggs said Aranea is on the way to Insomnia as we speak. I guess her cell phone is dead, but she has Wedge's phone. He will call her right now to have her come here first."

"Thank goodness," Iris exclaimed. "With all the stuff going on, I was, so worried about her."

"Agreed," Talcott replied. "With Aranea in the mix, we can take down that bastard easy."

Iris swallowed her doubts and allowed herself a few seconds of hope.

* * *

That woman he saw haunted him. Even after Belenus had served dinner to his master, he was still thinking about that woman. He had only seen her from the back, but she seemed, too familiar. But there was no way the woman could have been Iris. Lux had killed her. He had her blood on his hands. But, could Lux really have been strong enough to move her body somewhere where it wouldn't be found? Iris was light, but she was still bigger than a kid. Could Lux, who was nothing but a frail child, really have been able to move her?

Belenus went down to the dungeons to investigate. He surveyed the cell she had been staying in. It was too clean, and there was no sign of a struggle. Would Iris really have gone down without a fight? Despite knowing it was useless, she had defied him, and done her best to fight back. There'd be no way she would have stood there idly while a little boy stabbed her. And if he had stabbed her while she was trying to escape, there would have been blood all the way down the hall. There was none.

Lux hadn't been gone that long-there would have been no time to clean up a crime scene completely and dispose of a body. Especially with how shocked the kid had been. He wouldn't have been thinking clearly enough to that thorough of a job cleaning. Belenus himself would have been, but then again, he could kill without shock or remorse. But then, there was blood on Lux's hands…

What if the blood hadn't been hers, but Lux's? However, Belenus did his laundry and would have seen bloody clothes. Unless his King was hiding them?

He retraced Lux's probable steps. He found it, stuffed in the back of the cupboard under the sink of his bathroom. A bloody undershirt, with scorch marks around the stab hole. A mark that only the flame dagger could have made.

He should have known that Lux would wuss out. It was far more likely that Lux would have let her go than killed her himself. Perhaps the woman he saw had been Iris after all. So now there was a fugitive on the loose who knew too much. His lips parted in a feral grin. Escaped convicts were meant to be hunted down. It was time for him to have some fun. But first, he had to take his charge to task for having deceived him.

* * *

Ravus dropped to his knees screaming. It was like no pain he had ever felt before—not even being burnt by the ring of the Lucii (that he now remembered) had felt this bad. There was too much going through his head, physical and mental pain, different realities, truth and lies that were blurring. The dark void of nothingness beckoned, and in his desperation to escape the pain, he embraced it.

For just one moment, but it was enough. What had once been a bright white expanse was now black. There was no light, no sound, no smell, taste, or temperature. Even his self-perception, fighter's instinct, and knowledge of where his limbs were in relation to anything, were gone. He stood, stock still, at least he thought he was.

So, this was nothingness, he thought. From which he could never go back. But he now knew how he had died. Ardyn had shape-shifted as Noctis, betrayed him when he tried to hand over Regis's sword to the Chosen King, and had killed him. And the pain and rage Ravus had felt from that memory had sent hin here. In the end, Bahamut had been right. Ravus had taken a big risk and had lost. And it was all on him. He did not blame Bahamut. He blamed himself. What a wretched coward he was, he thought. In his haste to escape pain, he had forsaken his soul. And now he was useless to his sister, to the Chosen King, and to the world he had left behind.

"You think Ardyn's stabbing you ended it for you," hissed a voice from the darkness. It reminded him of a daemon's voice. Yet, there was something familiar about it.

"What do you mean," Ravus asked—he had nothing to lose at this point.

"You are still forgetting. After that, you became a daemon that had to be slain. In fact, you died twice already."

"So…" Ravus asked his mysterious companion.

"The 'death paradox' exists if you remember all of your memories plus your death. Since you only remember one of your deaths and died twice, you do not remember 'everything'. You are not affected by the paradox."

"Then, why am I here," Ravus asked.

"You tell me," the mysterious voice snapped back.

"Because I'm a coward who couldn't bear the pain," Ravus replied bitterly.

"Well, you aren't in pain now. Go back," his companion replied.

"Who are you," Ravus demanded.

The nothingness became, something, and Ravus could see the being step out of the null world around them. Ravus stiffened in horror. The being was, himself? Well, half of it was. The other half was covered in an oily daemonic blackness.

"I have the knowledge of that death," his other self replied. "You do not need it, and I will kill you myself, right here, right now if you seek to obtain it."

Despite the weirdness of it all, Ravus smirked. "That's somewhat of an empty threat I think since I am technically neither dead nor alive right now."

"Hmph. You don't belong here, so I could kill you if I wanted to. Get out."

"How did you get here," Ravus asked.

"Daemons can no longer exist in the world of the living, and the Six don't want them in the world of the dead. Where else could our kind go?"

"But not Ardyn," Ravus replied bitterly.

"For all that my, and your, sister knows about the Six, I still cannot fathom what goes on in their minds. Perhaps it is because Ardyn still has some human form left? Perhaps it is because they feel they need to guard him? I do not know. But that is neither here nor there. You should be focusing on getting out."

"How, do I get back," Ravus asked.

"If I knew, I wouldn't be here," Daemon Ravus replied. "You are on your own there."

Ravus closed his eyes, at least he thought he did, and focused on the throne room of Insomnia. Light had been pouring through the windows. The crystal had had an ethereal glow…

When he opened his eyes, his surroundings had changed. He was back in the throne room, just in front of the crystal. It was ironic that the first person he saw was Gladio.

"How'd it go," was all his surly comrade asked him.

Ravus had cheated a paradox—had slipped through a loophole that even Bahamut had not thought about. And it took, another self, trapped in that darkness, to point it out to him. All of this just rose further questions that Ravus could not even think about right now. For once, Ravus was at a loss for words.

* * *

 **Hopefully the "action" in this chapter shook things up-I know I have had a few chapters of people reuniting. I have some more action coming up. Hope you stick with it. Thanks for reading and feel free to share any feedback!**


	20. Chapter 20: Enemy of My Enemy

**Hey everyone! Trying to give short(ish) chapters for a bit to hopefully give me time to write more material. With that in mind, here is the next chapter! Happy Pi Day, Ides of March, St. Patrick's day, Spring/Fall equinox (depending on what hemisphere you're in). Thanks for reading as always.**

* * *

Aranea stormed through the doors of the Crow's Nest, ready to demand answers from Iris. However, one look at her face stopped her. She looked haggard and drawn. She looked like, someone who had been through hell.

Iris leapt up when she saw her, and to Aranea's surprise, ran over and hugged her.

"I'm so glad you're ok," Iris said. "With everything that's been going on, I thought you were…"

"Easy there, Iris," Aranea replied, awkwardly stepping back from the hug—she didn't like being touched. The only touching she had tolerated was Ignis's since he was blind and that had been his way of "seeing". Of course that was the only reason, she told herself.

"Where have you been," Iris began next. "Have you heard about, everything that has happened?"

"I've heard about Galdin Quay. Aside from that, I've been out of the loop. Ever since I had to flee from Gralea, I've been in an information blackout. All I got was from the little bits I heard from Biggs and Wedge."

"What happened to Gralea," Talcott asked. "Iris heard Lux destroyed it, but we don't know how or why."

Aranea's head slew towards Iris. "What did you hear?"

"Belenus is…"

"That son of a bitch," Aranea exclaimed after hearing Iris's tale. "And he got Cor?"

Aranea turned away for a moment to collect herself. She couldn't cry over what was past, but hearing about Cor made her want to. She took refuge in flaming anger.

"How dare he," she added. "That Asshole! And what the hell am I supposed to do about Lux?"

There was such pain in her voice that Iris stopped to listen. "Were you able to find out anything about him," she asked gently.

"He was created in a lab with part of Ardyn's DNA, as you know. But he is also mixed with human DNA to keep him from being fully an Ardyn clone." She looked away and spoke in such a low voice that Iris had to lean in to hear. "The DNA they mixed in, was mine."

Iris gasped. "You mean, Lux is part daemon, part Ardyn, part you?"

Aranea nodded. "I didn't know. They took my blood during my onboarding physical, and they used that as the DNA source. Simply because I have a rare blood type," she said bitterly. "And I almost didn't make it out after learning the truth. An asteroid hit Gralea, and levelled everything."

Cindy gasped. "The object I saw hit Gralea? While you were there? The force should have killed you."

"Yes, I know. I was underground at the time, which I think saved me. That and a shit ton of luck." She turned to Iris.

"You say Ifrit told you that Lux did it?"

Iris nodded. "Could Lux have used the crystal to do something like that? I don't know how else he could have done it. Unless Ifrit did…"

"Dunno," Aranea replied. "I've got to talk to Lux and get him away from Belenus. Belenus is a problem, perhaps 'the' problem. I'm going to make that fire breathing bastard pay for what he's done."

"But how? He killed Cor," Iris replied in desperation.

"I can't stand by and let Belenus have his way with my…son," Aranea stated bluntly. "If I have to die to do it, then I will."

Iris stood straighter. "Then, I won't let you go alone. I'm not letting Belenus get away with what he did to me either. I have to make him pay or die trying. Maybe with the two of us together taking him on, we will stand a chance."

There was no discussion of it being "too dangerous" or that Iris was "too weak". Aranea merely nodded. "There is room for one more fighter if you want to come," was all she said.

"I know I'm no good in a fight," Talcott spoke up. "But I'm happy to transport you and any supplies you need there."

"Cool your jets," Cindy spoke up. "You folks are bone-tired right now. You've been runnin' like hell. You need to rest up and gather tons of supplies before you even consider going back there."

"You're right," Iris replied. "As Ignis would say, it is better to be rested and well prepared before we even attempt to go back."

Aranea sighed in frustration but backed down. "Yeah, he would say something like that. And even if I wanted to punch him in the face for holding me back, his advice was never wrong," she commented wistfully, causing Iris to look at her more closely.

"Did you, like Ignis," Iris was bold enough to ask.

"Hmph. He was handy to have around in a fight. That's all," she replied defensively, which told Iris all that she needed to know.

There was no point in belaboring the point though—Ignis was gone, as was her brother, and Noctis, she remembered sadly.

"Now that that's settled, I'll rustle up some more grub for y'all," Cindy replied.

The would-be warriors were resigned to the fact that they had to wait a bit before they could fight back.

* * *

"So, Bahamut gave you your memories back," Noctis asked Ravus.

"For the most part, yes. I guess he didn't give me the part where I became a daemon. And to obtain it would send me off into nothingness."

"Hmph. You aren't missing much not knowing that," Gladio snarked.

Luna looked at her brother in shock. "You, became a daemon? How?"

"I wouldn't be here if I had that knowledge," Ravus replied. "As I said, having the full 100 percent of my memories would send me into the realm of nothingness. And, as much as I hate to say it, I am somewhat relieved the Hydrean did not see fit to grant you your memories, Sister. Else, you may have ended up there too."

"I'm happy you guys got your memories back without fading away, or whatever," Gladio cut in. "But none if this solves how to rescue Iris. We still need to figure out how we can get back there and help her."

"Even if we teleported back there right now, we'd still be in trouble without some kind of plan," Ignis replied coolly. "We need to know more about what we are dealing with before we head back there."

"We can't anyway unless Ardyn comes with us," Prompto added bitterly.

"Hmm," Cor interjected. "You mentioned Ardyn gave you the legend about Ifrit, right," he asked Ignis.

"Yes," Ignis replied warily.

"I want to speak to him," Cor stated firmly.

Ravus bristled. "He is the one who betrayed and murdered me, and my sister! He is a shapeshifter. A trickster! He has masqueraded as Noctis and Gladio in an effort to catch us by surprise. And it worked on me," he added bitterly. "As Noctis, he succeeded in betraying and murdering me. Do you really think you will get any answers out of him?"

"I am well aware of that," Noctis replied. "Cor, what is in your mind here?"

"Ardyn dealt with Ifrit for longer than the rest of us. He may know something about what to expect, or how to take him down," Cor replied.

"But what does it matter," Ravus cut in. "To get back there, we have to unleash that bastard, and I for one won't allow it."

"If you have any other suggestions, I'm all ears," Noctis replied, cutting to the heart of the matter.

Ravus grumbled, not having anything to offer.

"If I may cut in, I do believe there is some merit to what Cor is proposing," Ignis replied. "Ardyn has seen fit to share some 'truth' with us, even if it has been painful for us and on his terms. Despite that, we may be able to turn that to our advantage somehow."

"Hmph. I want no part of this," Ravus snapped back. "Speak to him if you must, but Luna and I will stay here. We will go nowhere near our murderer."

"I'm going with them," Luna stated. "I need to glean firsthand whatever astral lore we can get out of him."

Ravus and Noctis gave her a shocked double-take. "Ravus is right," Noctis replied coldly. "This is the man who murdered you. I don't want you confronting him, again."

"He killed you too, and you still need to deal with him," Luna exclaimed. "Besides, I know enough about astral lore that I should be able to tell very quickly if he's lying to us. You need me in there."

"My ancestors killed me. Not him," Noctis replied.

"You needed their powers to stop him, so he basically killed you himself," Luna snapped back.

Ignis cut in before Luna and Noctis could begin a full-blown argument.

"She has a point, Noct," he chimed in. "And if she feels up to the task, then it would only be an asset."

Noctis sighed, backing down. "Ok. And, I will be with you, Luna. I will, protect you from him, this time."

Luna looked up at her sort-of husband, momentarily moved by his promise. He stared back. For an instant it was just the two of them, the others forgotten. It didn't matter what the "real" timeline was. Every intimate moment they had ever shared was real, and they knew it.

"King Noctis," Ravus cut in, destroying the moment. "If you are up to the task of protecting Luna, than I shall allow this."

The "spouses" returned to reality abruptly. Luna looked to her brother in surprise. He was protective to a fault with her. If he was willing to relinquish that protection to Noctis, it must mean he trusted Noctis implicitly.

"Prompto, Gladio. Come with us and help watch our backs," Noctis ordered.

"You got it King," Prompto replied brightly, leading the way down to the prisons.

* * *

"What you do mean, you want us to stay out here," Gladio demanded of his king. "Ardyn is trouble incarnate, and if you think that the Captain of the Guards will sit this one out, you have your head up your ass."

"It, would be kind of cramped in there with six of us stuffed in the cell," Prompto volunteered hesitantly.

"Gladio," Ignis commented coolly. "You are much more suited for combat than you are interrogation. You are better served out here in case trouble arises from the outside. And you will still be near enough at hand to assist if Ardyn tries something."

"Interrogation," Gladio snarked ironically. "I don't know why you don't let me beat the truth of him."

"Do you really think that would work on him," Cor cut in practically. "This guy could hold his own against Noctis even at the height of his powers. Do you really think beating this guy up would be remotely feasible?"

Gladio deflated, an errant pupil put in his place by his mentor. "Prompto and I will be out here and watching for trouble," he replied, in tones saying he fully expected there to be some.

The interrogation team of Noctis, Luna, Ignis, and Cor made their way into Ardyn's cell.

He was already standing up, as though expecting visitors.

"Really, if you want to surprise me with an interrogation, you should not argue about it right outside my door within my hearing," Ardyn chided them in way of greeting. Upon seeing Cor, he continued tauntingly. "Ah. Cor the Immortal. Since you are here, I suppose that means your nom de guerre is a misnomer."

Cor ignored the remark. "You already know what we're here for then," he replied. "What can you tell us about Ifrit?"

"Surely you have heard the story from 'Iggy' here already," Ardyn taunted.

"Yes. How can we kill him," Noctis cut in.

Ardyn looked genuinely surprised. "I, thought you already had. Oh, of course! He reincarnated like Shiva did, didn't he? It's so gratifying to know all one's work was for nothing. Well, you can't kill him. Not from here. You are all dead, in case you have forgotten," he replied patronizingly.

"So, you spent millennia with him and still don't know how to take him down," Ignis replied.

"I wanted to, two thousand years ago. I had some ideas on that score. However, my brother did not want to slay a God. He wanted to dissuade him like the Six did. So shortsighted."

"Don't make excuses," Ignis cut in. "You had him in the palm of your hand these past ten years. You had ample opportunity to slay him then if you wanted to."

"He was 'of use' to me. There? Is that what you wanted to hear?"

Noctis stepped forward, threateningly. Ardyn held up his hands placatingly. "If a group of four were unable to take him down, how much chance do you think a single person would hold? Especially a Man of No Consequence like myself."

The interrogators subsided into grumpy silence. He did have a point about the numbers thing.

"None of this matters though," Ardyn replied. "We are safe here where he can't hurt us."

"He can hurt your son though," Cor replied bitingly.

Ardyn's face flickered surprise for a moment. "Son? Do you really think I could have charmed my way into a woman's good graces long enough to end up with a child," he asked mockingly.

Cor, Ignis, and Noctis all reflexively looked to Luna, as though she could represent all of womankind in answering the question. She just gave a flustered, helplessly confused look back before subtly shaking her head in the negative.

"Your flattery warms my heart, Dear Luna," Ardyn taunted. "I rest my case. How could I have," then he broke off and stiffened. "Verstael. You really were busy weren't you," he added with a malicious undertone.

"Yes. Verstael played with genetics, making a kid, er, being that is part daemon and part you. He may be a mix of other things too. I, didn't find that out before I, came here," Cor replied.

"What does he look like," Ardyn asked, an edge to his tone.

"He looks human," Cor replied. "I never would have thought he was part daemon, or related to you. He calls himself Lux."

Ardyn laughed out loud. "How ironic that offspring of myself has taken a name meaning 'light'."

"So, you really didn't know you had a son," Noctis demanded.

Ardyn looked from one to the other of them. "I did not. Although I suppose if you don't want to believe me, that's your prerogative."

"Well, in any case, Ifrit has his hooks into him now," Cor replied.

Ardyn's face twisted. For a split second, he looked disturbed, only for his poker face to return.

He gave an offhand shrug. "Oh well. We are trapped here for all eternity. Ifrit will get revenge on me through my son, and probably destroy mankind," he replied philosophically.

Luna was studying him intently, drawing her own conclusions. "You aren't really so blasé on this," she commented. "Being stuck here amid all of this pisses you off doesn't it?"

He turned sharply to look at her. "Just because I stabbed you doesn't mean you suddenly know me," he taunted with a bitter edge.

Noctis touched Luna's shoulder gently then stepped between her and Ardyn. "That's my wife you are talking to. You say that again, and I will kill you."

Ardyn chuckled derisively. "You can't kill someone who is already dead. Still, your devotion to the Oracle is impressive. Too bad it didn't help last time."

Noctis clenched his fist in frustration. "We have the power to stop things. The Six will send us back to take care of things. The only problem is you."

"Me? But, I'm locked in this prison. I can't do anything to you now," Ardyn replied in seemingly genuine confusion.

"You will be released with us if we go," Noctis told him with full disclosure.

Ardyn was silent for a moment. "Ah, The Six. They can never make anything simple for us can they," he replied in bitter sarcasm. "So, if you stay here, I stay here, and the world dies. If you go, I go, and I will team up with Junior and destroy everything. I suppose you haven't thought of the third option?"

"What is that," Ignis replied.

"Why, that I team up with you to take down Ifrit and handle, Lux was it?"

The party looked to each other in shock.

"Do you really think we would trust you," Noctis replied.

"I suppose not. It was worth a hearing though. Still in this, we have the same enemy. And you can't deny that I have a vested interest in the outcome."

"An enemy of an enemy is my friend," Noctis commented bitingly.

"You have become quite the savvy politician Noctis Lucis Caelum," Ardyn replied condescendingly.

"Noct, a word," Ignis said, giving the exit a significant glance.

The interrogators deemed it prudent to adjourn and see what Ignis had to say.

* * *

 **So...is Ardyn truthful when he's offering to help them? Are our heroes desperate enough to trust him, or will they find another way to make it back without dealing with him? Stay tuned to find out ;-)**


	21. Chapter 21: Manipulator and Manipulated

**Howdy everyone! Snowed in today (happy spring LOL), so I figured I'd post a new chapter. I'm writing more but very slowly. I will keep updates on the short side to hopefully give me time to write more. No pressure haha! Anyway, thanks for reading and feedback as always.**

* * *

Ignis didn't want Ardyn eavesdropping again, so he remained silent until the party was back in the elevator going back upstairs. And he broke his silence to a flurry of shock and anger.

"What do you mean we actually team up with Ardyn," Gladio snapped.

"It would be the most efficient way back," Ignis replied calmly. "He is the one obstacle right now to us returning, and if we give him the chance to help us, it will only be to our benefit."

"He betrayed us all," Prompto replied. "How can you even think about trusting him?"

"I didn't say 'trust' him," Ignis said. "What I had more in mind was 'using' him. We take him up on his offer, use it to get back to the 'real world', and at the first sign of treachery, we deal with him."

"How," Gladio replied. "He ran circles around us last time. Do you really think we could handle him if, no, when, he goes off the reservation?"

"I admit it's a risk," Ignis replied. "However, we have the advantage of knowing how he operates now. We also have Cor, Luna, and Ravus with us this time around, which we didn't have last time. It is not exactly the same cycle."

"I don't think Ravus will be too happy with this," Prompto commented.

"And I don't want Luna to stay in contact with the man who hurt her," Noctis ventured, his first comment to the conversation.

"Sometimes your protectiveness can be a little much Noct," Luna replied with some asperity. "And I do stand by what I said in there. He was actually pissed off that Ifrit was back at it. As strange as it sounds, I think he would help us deal with him at least. I, don't know about the Lux part, but I do believe he would help us with Ifrit. And we could sure use all the help we can get with him."

Noctis wrung his hands. "I guess it falls on me to deal with Ardyn again if he causes trouble," he said, resigned. "And believe me, I will," he added darkly.

"Who's going to tell Ravus? He will flip," Prompto ventured.

Luna sighed. "I'll do it."

* * *

Lux milled aimlessly around the Citadel, a silent shadow. It sure was lonely with just Belenus around. He wished Iris, Aranea, and Cor were here, he thought sadly. Then he shook off that thought. Cor was dead, and if Iris were still here, Belenus would have hurt her. For some reason, he saw her as a threat. Lux didn't think she was. She was too nice and would never hurt him.

Weakness, he thought bitterly. It was just an excuse for not having to hurt her himself. But, he had hurt people. Everyone in Gralea and Galdin Quay. Why could he do that, but not hurt people face to face? Should he cultivate that? As king he had to be strong and brave and eliminate any potential threats himself. He couldn't lean on Belenus forever. His own father had killed bad people. Couldn't he do the same?

He wandered back to the throne room to take another look at the crystal. The only time he felt strong, and kingly, was when wielding its powers. He studied it intently, as though it could reveal the secrets to his existence.

"Evening, 'Hardened Killer'," Belenus cut in from behind him.

Lux whirled around to see his companion striding in the room, a strange look on his face.

"Wha, what do you mean," Lux asked uncertainly.

"Oh, I mean the fact you were able to take care of Iris yourself. It was really quite brave of you to stab her to death. To be honest, I didn't think you had it in you."

"Oh! I, didn't want to do it, but I had to," Lux replied, almost floundering. Why was Belenus bringing this up now?

"I know you didn't want to," Belenus replied with mock gentleness. "Which is why you didn't, did you," he concluded, voice hard and deadly.

"I totally did," Lux replied defensively.

In answer, Belenus swept forward with astonishing speed, grabbed Lux's shirt at the waist, and ripped it, revealing the boy's still-healing knife wound. Lux reflexively covered it with his hand, then staggered back in fear.

Belenus smirked triumphantly, then held out the matching bloody shirt he had found, swinging it tauntingly. "If you want to keep secrets from me, you need to do better than that," he replied bitterly, icy rage in his tones. He took a menacing step closer. "I knew you were weak. You can't even kill a frail girl! Even now she is off revealing your secrets. What don't you get about silencing dissent! You are a King. It is your job to strike first! And instead you stab yourself like a suicidal moron just to protect that bitch!"

Lux was terrified. He knew he was weak. Yet somehow, showing weakness to Belenus was his limit. He held his ground and his panic inside. "Part of silencing dissent is getting the person and their friends, right," Lux replied, icy malice in his tone. "By letting Iris go, if we follow her, she will lead us right to her friends, so we can get the rest of them in one fell swoop."

Belenus's rage cooled mid-spate, and he stared at Lux slack-jawed. He sounded just like Ardyn. Maybe the kid was cleverer than he looked. Maybe he was a threat on the order of Ardyn.

Lux warmed to his theme. "I stabbed myself to make it seem like I was protecting Iris and to get her to trust me. From here, we can just find out where she went and track down her buddies too. I, was going to tell you, but I wanted to give her a, a head start so she wouldn't think she was being followed. Being as powerful as you are, I figure you can find her easy."

"And you're right," Belenus replied excitedly. "Give me leave to go find her."

Lux gave him a level look. "Granted," he said coolly.

Belenus didn't have to be told twice. He strode out of the room, eager to begin his hunt.

After Belenus left, Lux plopped down onto the throne, exhausted. The manipulated had become the manipulator, and he felt guilty and dirty for doing it. "Please Iris," he whispered. "Don't let him find you. Find people to do what I cannot. Find people who can hurt him."

* * *

"I can't believe I'm hearing this," Ravus said to his sister, disgust and betrayal evident in his tone. "How can you even think of teaming up with the man who murdered you? How gullible are you?"

"No more gullible than you, being taken in by him disguised as Noctis," Luna replied bitterly, hurt that her brother could be so contemptuous of her and her decisions. So hurt that she wanted to hurt back.

"At least he was in disguise at the time," he snapped back. "From what I hear, he wasn't even in disguise when he—stabbed you."

Luna folded her arms defensively. "So now you are blaming me that I had the temerity to let Ardyn kill me," she replied in stark disbelief.

Ravus broke off, appalled. "Of course not! I, just don't understand how you can support the man who hurt you. He will only try again, and I don't know if I can help you. I, don't need to encounter your death twice."

Luna subsided. "I understand how you feel. However, we have no other way back. Unless you prefer to stay here forever and watch the world return to ruin, I don't think we have a choice. And it's not exactly the same this time. We know a lot more now, and there are more of us to watch him. And, I still think he will help us against Ifrit. I saw his reaction when his name was mentioned—as much as he tried to hide it, I could tell he was furious at the mere mention of his name. I think we can trust him against Ifrit."

"And when Ifrit is gone, what then," Ravus demanded.

"Then we all watch him carefully. Noctis and Ignis won't let him start anything. I'm sure of it."

Ravus's shoulders slumped. He knew when he was beaten. "And I won't allow it, either," he stated.

"I'm, sorry I called you gullible for being taken in by his disguise," Luna replied sadly. "I, wish it hadn't happened, to any of us."

Ravus awkwardly patted her hand. "For what it's worth, I'm glad all of us ended up here together. It would have been, difficult, to not see you again for another few decades."

"That's strange," Luna said ruefully. "I wish you, and Noctis and everyone else had had a few more decades out there before meeting me here."

"I will do my best to tolerate Ardyn," Ravus replied, abruptly changing the subject before he started crying. "However, I will be on a very short leash. The instant he even thinks about acting up, I will kill him."

"So will I," was all Luna said in reply.

* * *

Noctis and Ignis returned to Ardyn's cell. It was on them to deliver the news and give themselves one last chance to back out of this plan. They all knew how dangerous it was. And the price of failure would be enormous. But the potential rewards were a lot higher.

"Back so soon," Ardyn taunted when they reentered the cell.

"Was your offer to take down Ifrit serious," Noctis demanded.

Ardyn smirked. "Yes, but, did I lie just now," Ardyn taunted.

"Enough," Ignis cut in coldly. "Unless you want to rot alone in this cell forever, you need to cut the flippancy and be frank with us right now."

Ardyn sighed. "There is no reason for you to trust me, ever. And it is true that I would leap at any opportunity to escape this infernal prison. However, I for one detest Ifrit. And to see him undo my handiwork is, in a word, galling. If, hypothetically, you were to release me, I would do everything in my power to end him, even if I have to ally myself with you all to do it. Take it or leave it," he challenged.

Ignis and Noctis looked at each other. It was apparent that they both believed him.

"We will release you then," Noctis stated firmly.

"And it is only fair to warn you that any betrayal will not go well for you," Ignis added coldly, a deadly threat in his voice.

"Oh I am shaking in my boots," Ardyn replied in mock terror. "But I shouldn't fear I suppose. I have no intention of betraying you, at this time anyway," he added darkly.

Maybe Ignis and Noctis were being idiots. But right now Ardyn was their only way out, so they had to take it.

* * *

Aranea wasn't ready. Her climb out of the pit in Gralea, combined with endless walking and subsisting on meager rations had taken its toll. Even now her arms protested every time she lifted her spear. She stamped her foot in frustration. She was a toughened warrior. Why the hell was she so weak now?

Of course she wouldn't admit it. To even hint at frailty was anathema to her. And in her current state, she would be unequipped to take down the being who killed Cor in his prime.

There was no help for it. She would have to practice. She had to return to square one and become a hunter again for awhile. She rounded up her supplies and made her way to the gates of the gas station complex.

"Wait," Iris called out in desperation, running to catch up. "You aren't, going to Insomnia now are you," she asked.

Aranea should have known she couldn't sneak away. "Nah. I'm doing some hunting to try get my strength ba—I mean, to get stronger to be able to take on Ifrit better."

"Oh. That's a good idea. Would it, be too much trouble to let me come with you? I, fear my time in the Citadel compromised my strength a bit."

Aranea thought for a moment. If she was going to have Iris by her side in the final battle, then she needed to be at 100 percent too. "Sure," she finally said. "Grab whatever supplies you need, and meet me here in an hour."

Iris ran off to do just that, returning with her supplies, and Talcott 45 minutes later.

"I, heard you two are going out hunting," Talcott spoke excitedly. "Any chance I can tag along with you? I'd, like to get more fighting experience so I can help you guys out."

Aranea studied the young man, a recruiter sizing up a potential cadet. Any potential "good" fighter had a certain look to him (or her), and Talcott didn't have it. His arms were too flabby—a heavy sword would probably be too much for him. His "fighter's stance" that any tough guy seemed to possess instinctively was absent in his case. He was surveying his surroundings with wide-eyed innocence and interest rather than with wariness. Any threat would catch him unawares. She could not be responsible for him getting hurt.

"Sorry kid," she said regretfully. "But, I think your skills are better served here."

"Please," he said desperately. "Give me a chance.

"I'm sorry, but no means no," Aranea replied firmly. "Iris, let's go."

They turned to walk away, to suddenly hear a woosh and a clatter to their right. They turned sharply to see the Hammerhead sign impaled with 1000 needles, as though a Cactuar had hit it.

Talcott was standing there, hands still out, a triumphant grin on his face.

"How did you do that," Aranea demanded.

"I, read a lot about beasts and daemons as a kid," Talcott replied. "From reading up on them enough, I am able to mimic some of their powers."

"You're a Blue Mage," Iris demanded in awe.

"I, dunno about that," Talcott replied. "I, am just able to replicate some abilities I have read about. I've never had a chance to use them much though. I think if I practice more, I can be of help to you guys. Please, take me with you."

Aranea sighed. "Well, since you are capable of at least a rudimentary defense, I feel more comfortable bringing you with us now. Suit up."

"Yeppers," Talcott replied brightly, thrilled for the chance of an outing.

"But know this," Aranea added darkly. "We can't be spending the whole time saving your ass. You can't pull your own weight, you are back here faster than a Voretooth taking down a baby Garula."

"Got it," Talcott replied, then led the trio out to the wilderness.

* * *

"So, all of you are in agreement that you'd like to go back," Bahamut addressed Noctis and his allies.

"I believe we've made that quite plain," Noctis replied firmly.

"You remember that if you go back, Ardyn does as well," Bahamut cautioned.

"We know," Noctis replied.

Bahamut sighed. "Tell me. Are you not grateful for the existence we gave you here?" He was not accusing, but sounded, sad, as though hurt that they were rejecting what he had freely given them.

Luna stepped forward. "I, we, know all what you did for us. We are very grateful for it. We know how much effort it was for you to do this, and are honored that you saw fit to adjust reality just for us. However, I suppose our human failings of curiosity and not wanting to stand still prevented us from sticking to the existence you graciously gave us."

Bahamut seemed slightly mollified. "I, admit I did not think of that when I rearranged reality for you. I, should have. Humans have always been difficult to fathom. I, suppose that is why the Six of us are so divided on our opinions of you."

"I, do hope you do not think less of humans now as a result of us," Ignis replied hesitantly.

"No. I, will always love humans," Bahamut stated.

"Hmph. You have a weird way of showing it," Gladio muttered.

Everyone ignored him.

"I can, do as you ask," Bahamut replied. "However, know that when I do, you will go back with the same appearance you had at the end of your lives. Ignis will still be without sight. Ravus will still be missing an arm. And it will be as though you had all 'lived' through the ten years of darkness, so have aged accordingly. Can you live with that?"

Ignis shrugged. "I lived for ten years with compromised vision. I can do so again," he stated.

"As long as I get my bionic arm back, I can manage," Ravus commented.

"I age like a fine wine," Prompto added flippantly. "I'm down for ageing."

"If anyone here aged well, I think it's Noct," Gladio replied.

Luna smirked. "Now, this I have to see. I don't care what I look like when I come out, but I have to see Noctis."

After seeing nods from the rest of the team, Bahamut was satisfied. "Very well. Venture forth, Warriors of Light."

* * *

 **So...resurrected at last. But Ignis is still blind, Ravus is still missing his arm, and Ardyn is in the mix. There is no such thing as a free lunch though-let's see what our heroes and heroines can make of it. Till next time! Hope you stick with it!**


	22. Chapter 22: Out and About

**Hey Everyone! I know it's only been a few days, but I decided to keep the momentum going by publishing more. I've got a little bit more ready to go after this, but I have been slow to add more. Hopefully I have more time to write soon. Thanks for reading as always.**

* * *

It was amazing how the mundane could keep on keeping on, even if there were tendrils of evil slithering around the land. Cindy was waxing the hood of a car. The driver had brought it in, panicked that his new car was already getting corroded by the dust and dry desert air. It had never occurred to him to apply a coat of wax to protect it. Well, Cindy supposed that not any wax would do anyway. Only the special wax she had concocted for just such an occasion would do the trick.

It was stiflingly hot today, as usual. It was on days like this that she was glad she wore her open jacket, short shorts, and bikini top. She knew it raised some eyebrows, but the heat, combined with the extra heat given off by the car engines she worked on, really made it practical. Besides, it was her domain. She could dress however she damn well wanted.

She was leaning over the hood of the car when she felt eyes on her. She stood up, gracefully, to meet the gaze of a red-haired man, leaning casually against the nearest gas pump. Despite the heat of the day, he was wearing a green suit. His reddish gaze was scanning her, bottom up. For the first time in her life, Cindy felt self-conscious in her outfit.

"May I help you," she asked, calmly, but with a hint of wariness.

"Maybe," the man replied, detaching himself from the gas pump and sauntering over to her. "I imagine a pretty young mechanic like yourself sees a lot of people pass through here," he commented.

"Maybe? You lookin' for someone," she asked casually.

His gaze raked her again, giving her the impression that he was looking for her. She instinctively zipped up her jacket protectively.

"That's a shame," the man muttered. "I'm looking for a young woman, mid-twenties, dark hair. She pass through here recently?"

"Sorry, hon," Cindy replied coolly. "You just described most of the world."

The man smirked. Cindy didn't like it one bit. "Her name is Iris Amicitia. Does that narrow it down," the man asked tauntingly.

Cindy dropped her jar of wax. "Aw shoot," she replied, as ditzy as she could. "This stuff shore is slippery before it hardens. Always wants to jump out of my hands." She bent to pick it up, using that action to calm her expression and to control the ice in her veins. By the time she rose, she had herself in control.

"Lots of people come through these parts. I rarely if ever know their names. Unless she has a sweet ride, I wouldn't know her," she stated, matter of factly. Had she sold it?

The man stared at her, as though trying to figure out if she was telling him the truth. "If you see her, give me a call," the man said, giving her a card with a phone number on it. "I'll make it worth your while," he said tauntingly. "And, even if you don't see her, give me a call sometime anyway," he replied with a leer, then sauntered off.

Cindy stood there, rigid, until he was out of sight. Then she ran to the phone to call Iris. A man like that being after her, had to be bad. "Please, get stronger soon," was all Cindy could wish for at this particular moment.

* * *

Aranea surveyed the remains of the farmhouse with grim concentration. It looked like a battering ram had hit the house, causing the second story to cave in. She hoped the inhabitants had gotten away, but hope was a fool's game.

"Did, a Behemoth really do this," Talcott asked in awe.

Aranea's eyes narrowed on the hoofprints next to the house. She put her foot in one of them for scale. "I would say so," she replied. "No wonder there is a bounty out on it. This farm is destroyed, and so will other farms be if we can't find it."

"At least it hasn't rained in awhile," Iris added. "We should be able to follow the footprints, right?"

"Yes," was all Aranea said.

They trekked onward in wary silence. The footprints were getting fresher and fresher. And so was the steaming pile of dung they found. "He's close," Aranea whispered.

As if on cue, the trees a quarter mile to the left started falling down as though struck by a giant hand.

"He's that way," Talcott stated, confirming the obvious.

They came up to where they were in visual range. Its back was to them.

"We may be able to sneak up on him if we are careful," Aranea said softly. "I will attack from above. Iris, you stay here and shoot. Talcott, when you have a clean shot, do that needle thing again."

"I've got other stuff I can use too," Talcott replied, not wanting to be called a one-trick-pony.

"Start with that, then whatever else you can do," Aranea whispered softly, getting ready to sneak forward.

It was then that Iris's cell phone rang, startling their prey.

"So much for stealth," Aranea snapped angrily as the beast charged their way, his sheer size making the ground shake whenever he moved.

"Fall back," Aranea demanded.

Talcott stood his ground.

"What the hell are you doing," Aranea demanded, fear and anger in her voice.

In answer, energy erupted out of Talcott's hands. It hit the beast, turning it to stone.

"No way! You know petrify," Iris asked in shock.

"Mmm hmm," was all Talcott said.

Aranea took instant advantage, leaping up to impale it from above. At the same time, Iris shot at its frozen face. Perhaps it was not the most "fair" of battles, to attack something totally incapacitated, but as Ignis would say, it was kill or be killed. They had no other option.

The beast collapsed to the ground, a heavy rock, vanquished.

"Not bad, kid," Aranea commented to Talcott. "And nice shooting, Iris."

"It was a stationary target," Iris replied. "It wasn't that tough of a shot."

"Whatever," Aranea replied. "Dead is dead. And the three of us together did it faster than if any one of us had done it alone."

The petrification spell was already wearing off.

"Let's get out of here," Aranea said. "I don't really want to see the other animals pick this behemoth apart."

"Yeah," Iris said with a shudder. "I'm with you."

"Circle of life," Talcott said prosaically, but followed them to the nearest encampment to rest up.

* * *

Noctis awoke to the feeling of cold water seeping into his clothes. He leapt up instinctively and took his bearings. He remembered this place. He was in the courtyard of the Vesperpool ruins. He glanced down at the puddle to see his reflection. It was as Bahamut said. He looked as he had when he confronted Ardyn last. His hair had grayed. He had a few days's growth of beard. He shrugged philosophically, and glanced at the rest of the party, rising groggily from their places in the puddle.

He saw Luna first. She approached him, hesitantly. "Noctis," she said, breathlessly. "Gladio was, right. You did age well," she replied in a daze, touching his face. He stared back at her intently. If she was aged ten years like him, she'd be in her mid 30's now. Aside from some worry lines on her forehead, and some laugh lines around her mouth, she looked much the same as she had.

Seeing him sizing her up, Luna asked him uncertainly, "how, do I look?"

Noctis didn't reply. He just leaned over and kissed her.

"Aww. How sweet," taunted an unwelcome familiar voice.

They broke apart to glare at Ardyn, who looked as he had prior to his defeat. Ardyn glanced at himself in the water. "Ah. At least the Six saw fit to groom me when tossing me back," he commented philosophically.

"I, can manage," Ignis griped, waving off Prompto, who was trying to help the suddenly blind man up.

"I'll get you a stick," Gladio replied, wandering off to find a walking stick for Ignis.

Ravus had aged almost as much as Noctis had, Noctis realized in surprise. His hair, while always tending towards platinum blonde, was now white, as was the goatee on his face. Even Luna stared at him in surprise. "You take after dad," she commented in surprise.

Ravus too used the puddle as a mirror. "I, see that," he said. "Luckily you take after mother it seems," he commented dryly.

"You may want to cut back on the reminiscing," Ardyn cut in dryly. "It appears we have an esteemed guest. Oh! Make that two," he commented, staring behind them.

They turned to see Gentiana, wiggling bundle in her arms, striding gracefully up to them.

Gentiana gave Ardyn a cold glare. He simply stared back unmoved. Gentiana fixed her gaze on Cor.

"Cor the Immortal," she intoned. "I see you were successful in resurrecting the Heroes of Light."

"And me," Ardyn replied brightly. Gentiana turned sharply and touched him, turning him to ice for a moment. He broke out of it quickly, but stood there silently, shivering.

"I would say Bahamut resurrected them, not I," Cor replied.

She waved that away, and then turned to Noctis. "Now that you have returned, you must return to the crystal."

"That's the plan," Noctis said dryly.

"But before we do that, we need to find Iris," Gladio cut in, having returned with a suitable walking stick for Ignis."

"It would behoove us to ascertain if Aranea is all right as well," Ignis replied.

"How are we going to do that," Prompto asked. "Call her, say 'we are back from the dead, how's it going with you?'"

"We are nearest Lestallum if memory serves," Ravus replied. "I say we go there first and find out whatever information we can about anything."

"The more time we spend on intelligence, the more wrathful Ifrit grows," Ardyn replied darkly. "I, don't suppose you would allow me to track down Ifrit while you glean information in Lestallum?"

"Not a chance in hell," Noctis replied.

Ardyn shrugged. "Just a thought. Let's make it quick then."

"My daughter and I shall accompany you," Gentiana said.

"Your daughter got a name," Gladio asked her.

"Her name is Agneya," Gentiana replied, absently caressing the bundle in her arms. The infant cooed in reply.

"Hmph. Nice name," was all Gladio said.

"Onwards," Ravus and Ignis stated at the same time.

"We're keeping an eye on you, Izunia," Cor reminded their untrustworthy ally.

"Noted," was all Ardyn said in reply.

* * *

It had been years since Iris had camped. Throughout the ten years of darkness, she had hunted, then high-tailed it back to the nearest lighted town to rest. The world then was not a great place to enjoy the great outdoors. In fact, the last time she remembered camping was with Noctis, Ignis, Gladio, and Prompto. They had driven down the coast road, and camped on the beach. Noctis had fished for them, and Ignis had cooked it—she put her foot down to squash that memory. It just made her realize how much she still missed them all.

It was her turn to cook, on a campfire no less. Aranea had not wanted to overload them with camping supplies. All they had was peanut butter, crackers, and canned beans. Iris was wrestling with the one tiny saucepan they had brought, doing her best to heat the beans without burning them too badly. Ignis would have managed fine—no—she wouldn't think of that again.

Aranea strode back to the campsite, lugging some freshly-obtained meat.

"Garula sirloin," she commented. "Figured we could do with something a little more substantial. One benefit of being a hunter—you can get whatever food you need."

"If you don't mind it charred, I can give it a go," Iris replied.

"A hot rock to cook it on and my polearm to flip it should do," Aranea observed.

"Let me try," Talcott asked, coming over from having pitched the tents.

Iris stood aside to give him a chance. It wasn't like she was the finest campfire cook anyway.

"We were lucky today," Aranea ventured. "That phone of yours going off almost caused us a big problem. Leave it to telemarketers to always have the worst timing," Aranea snarked.

"My phone," Iris finally remembered and checked her voicemail.

"It's, Cindy," she said in surprise. "She sounded strange."

"Is she all right," Aranea asked sharply.

"Let me call her."

"'Bout time you got my message," was Cindy's greeting over the phone line. "I think you've got a bit of a problem. There was a man who dropped by today asking about you. He gave me the creeps, not gonna lie."

Iris stiffened. "Someone was asking about me? Who?"

"Dunno. Red-haired man, kinda handsome if you don't mind'em a little sleazy. Wearin' a green suit."

Iris gasped. "Belenus? He, was there?"

"That feller was Belenus," Cindy replied, voice hard. "Thank goodness I played dumb and gave him nothin' to work with. I think you should watch your back."

"Yeah—keep an eye out for him, Cindy. If you see him again, run."

Iris severed the connection with shaking hands. Belenus knew she had somehow escaped. Had Lux told him? But for that matter, why would Belenus have left Lux alone? Unless he saw her as more of a threat? Her blood chilled at the thought. He was hunting her—he was brutal and powerful. If he caught up to her, they'd be forced to fight him. And at their present strength levels…

She wished Gladio were here. He'd know what to do. And so would Noctis. She wished they were back so hard, it hurt inside. She felt tears welling up.

"What's wrong," Aranea asked her sharply.

"Belenus, knows I escaped. He's looking for me," Iris replied in fear and despair.

Aranea bit her lip, the only sign of distress she showed. "Guess we got to stay on the move and toughen ourselves up then. That way, when he catches up, we have a chance of fighting back."

Aranea had not even thought to give false hope—no "we will keep him away from you." She knew it was a matter of when, not if, Belenus would track Iris down, and was doing what she could to make them ready for it.

Iris knew she would have trouble sleeping that night.

* * *

 **Noctis and crew are finally out and about. Will they or Belenus find Iris first? Hope you stay tuned to find out! Till next time!**


	23. Chapter 23: Quarrel of Deities

**Hi All! Here comes the next (hopefully exciting) installment. Happy and safe Easter, Passover, April Fools Day to all who observe. Happy April to everyone else :-)**

* * *

Lestallum looked as it always had. Vibrant despite the sweltering heat. Visitors and locals alike milled about the market stalls, then fled to the sidewalk cafes covered with awnings and umbrellas to escape the heat.

"At least Lestallum hasn't changed," Prompto observed. "I wonder what the rest of the world looks like."

Gladio said nothing, but charged forward to the Levelle to prod for info about Iris.

Despite wanting to head straight to Ifrit, Ardyn couldn't help looking around. "It seems oddly fitting that the first taste of freedom I have is of this fine city," he commented bemusedly. "We had great memories here, didn't we, Noct?"

Noctis clenched his fist. "If you mean forcing me to drive to the Disc of Cauthess under false pretenses, then yeah," Noctis replied bitterly.

"False pretenses," Ardyn replied, mockingly aggrieved. "Why, I did exactly what I promised. I even rescued you and yours from Titan's wrath at the end. I did not _have_ to do that, you know."

"You didn't see fit to tell us you were the Imperial Chancellor," Ignis cut in coldly.

"Why, I figured you knew! You were Noctis's intelligence source were you not? How could you not have recognized me?"

Ignis's hand clenched on his walking stick. Ardyn did have a point, and to this day Ignis regretted that he had overlooked that bit of intelligence. If he hadn't, things may have been a lot different.

The lobby of the Levelle was air-conditioned, and by far the most comfortable area of the city. Gladio stormed up, ready to ask about Iris.

"Iris Amitica, you say," the proprietor asked, evidently not recognizing them. "Why that's a coincidence. Somebody else was just asking about her."

The party stiffened. "Who," Gladio demanded.

"Red haired guy, kind of intimidating. Is he one of yours," the proprietor asked.

Shiva (in Gentiana's form to better fit in) made an audible gasp, startling the bundle in her arms. "How long ago was this? Where is he now," she demanded.

The proprietor scratched his head, keeping the party in agonizing suspense for a moment. "I'd say, ten, maybe fifteen minutes. I had no info to give him, so he left. He may still be in town somewhere."

The party had no choice but to return outside and begin tracking down their foe. "Belenus is here," Cor replied, voice taut. "I did not expect to see him again so soon."

"Excellent," Ardyn replied gloatingly. "This makes our goal much easier."

Ignis's gaze slew towards him disgustedly. "We have no notion of what we are dealing with. To approach him now without much intelligence is not advisable."

Ardyn smirked. "Surely the 'saviors of the world' are not cowering at the thought of meeting the Infernian once more? I thought that's what we came for," Ardyn replied mockingly, but with a cold edge.

"Indeed," Ignis replied with clenched teeth. "I was merely suggesting that to run right up to him is not a good idea."

"It appears that die is cast," Ardyn replied darkly, glancing towards Gentiana.

She had spotted Belenus, striding down main street, and was closing in.

Prompto and Luna looked at each other in shock. Was Gentiana really going to confront Belenus right here on the street?

Gladio was much more practical. "You might want to get out of the area right now," he warned some passersby. They looked disbelievingly for a moment, but then seeing the group of intimidating-looking people in their midst, they complied with alacrity.

"Pyreburner," Gentiana called out.

The man known as Belenus froze, then turned in shock to see the dark-haired, black-clad woman standing before him. His gaze raked her.

"So, you have taken the form of _humans_ ," Ifrit commented bitterly.

"Ifrit, you must stop this path you are walking. It will only end in destruction," Gentiana replied.

Belenus scoffed. "Still taking their side are you," he said coldly.

"Eos is our home, just as it is theirs," Gentiana entreated. "We created it. It must endure. If not for them, but for our daughter." So saying, she moved the blanket, exposing the face of their infant.

Belenus stared in stark disbelief for a moment. He scanned the delicate baby, looking for familiar features. His hand reached out for one hesitant moment as though he would touch the baby. Then he shook off any tender feelings he might have had.

"You expect me to believe this, thing, is our child," he sneered. "With how much you love humans, how do I know she is really mine and that you didn't get it on with a human behind my back?"

Gentiana drew back in shock and betrayal. "How, could you," she replied, brokenly.

"A human, Astral hybrid? Oh, how I wish I had thought of that. The Empire would have eaten it up," Ardyn commented condescendingly, stepping between Belenus and Gentiana, calmly pulling out his dagger.

Belenus's reaction left no room for doubts. He immediately took the form of Ifrit in all of his fiery glory, and lunged at Ardyn. His flaming hand, the size of a building, slammed down. It was only Ardyn's warping powers that saved him. The street was not so lucky. There was now a hand-shaped crater in his wake.

The gawking passersby got the hint, and began running in terror. Ardyn's "allies" drew their weapons, ready for battle.

Ifrit raised his hand, and took a flaming swipe at a nearby building. The building shattered as though a wrecking ball had hit it, causing a pile of rubble to careen towards the preparing warriors. Noctis saw the danger first, and grabbed Luna and Prompto, warping them to safety. Ardyn did the same with Ignis.

"It's the least I can do for a blind man," he taunted Ignis mockingly once he got him out of the way.

Gladio, Cor, and Ravus retreated more slowly, using their giant swords to smash at the approaching rubble like they were playing the most dangerous baseball game ever, to finally make their way to safety as well.

Gentiana, now in her form of Shiva, stared at Ifrit in horror. "Do you know how many people were in that building you just destroyed," she asked, hesitantly, as though hoping he was truly ignorant of what he had done.

"I hope it was every human in the world," he replied angrily. "But I know that isn't the case. This is just a tip of the iceberg, Glacian!"

Shiva set her now-crying bundle gently on the ground. "I had hoped I could save you, Ifrit, but it appears I was mistaken," she said tearfully. Then she ascended to the sky, spinning gracefully, swirling snowflakes in her wake.

Noctis and crew were forced to watch the unusual sight of snowflakes coming down onto piping hot Lestallum.

Shiva was evidently using the spinning to charge up some kind of power. She rose her hands, revealing gigantic icicles—of a size that could easily impale one of the nearby buildings if she lost control. With a mighty swing, she flung them at her once-lover, now foe, ready to stab him clean through. Ifrit batted them aside with a mighty roar, then jumped, ready to meet her at her level.

"Woah! Are, like, two gods fighting now," Prompto commented in horrified excitement.

"We should get her baby out of the way," Cor replied, rushing forward to gently pick up the bundle and carry her to "safety."

"You know, Cor the Immortal: with two gods fighting, there is no safe place for the child," Ardyn stated calmly, eyes to the sky watching the two face off.

Cor ignored him, but couldn't help glancing up to the feuding gods. It seemed as though Ifrit was holding back. He was evading what Shiva was throwing at him rather than fighting back.

"He, doesn't want to hurt her," Luna whispered.

"Give him time," Ardyn replied condescendingly.

Ifrit took aim with a giant fireball, and fired, completely missing Shiva.

"He, missed," Noctis asked in surprise.

He hadn't missed. He wasn't aiming for her. He was aiming for the Marketplace.

"He wants the highest body count," Gladio replied in disgust, and began running towards the market to render what aid he could.

The fireball didn't hit. Shiva saw firsthand what Ifrit was planning, and flew into its path. Instead of hitting the horrified populace, the fireball hit her, straight on. With an agony that was painful to hear, Shiva plummeted to the ground, crashing through hapless market stalls, to lay prone on the street, gasping out of charred lungs.

Ifrit glided to the ground to stand over her, looking down at her in what appeared to be shock.

"You fool! Why did you do that? Are the humans really worth it to you," he demanded.

Shiva gave a sad smile. "Always," she said, weakly.

Ifrit stared down at her, an indiscernible expression on his face. Then he spun on his heel, turning some of the asphalt street to tar in the process, and flew off without a backwards glance at his dying wife, or at the gawking terrified bystanders, or at the potential threats risen from the dead to stop him.

Ardyn appeared fully ready to pursue, but Noctis grabbed his arm. "Not yet," he said coldly.

"The longer we wait, the worse it is going to get," Ardyn oozed back, but subsided, choosing to stare down at the dying goddess in morbid fascination.

"This is not a show, Izunia," Ravus replied coldly, refusing to let Ardyn use a dying woman as entertainment.

"This is the second time I have observed the Glacian's demise," Ardyn observed. "How fascinating," he added dryly to Ravus's disgust.

Curious onlookers were beginning to think like Ardyn, apparently. Cor and Gladio worked as one to guide them away and calm things down.

Luna arrived on the scene, guiding Ignis by the hand. "Believe it or not, I can manage myself, your Highness," Ignis stated to her calmly.

Upon seeing Shiva, Luna abruptly dropped Ignis's hand and rushed to the fallen Astral, grabbing her rapidly warming hand in an effort to heal her.

"There is, nothing you can do," Shiva said weakly. "I, was, struck down, by one of my kind. I will, not regenerate."

"You're, actually dying," Noctis replied in awestruck horror.

She nodded weakly. "I, had hoped I could save him, but there is no hope now. He has, turned on one of his own. He, cannot return. You, must slay him, forever. It, is, the only way."

"But, we are not Gods like you," Ignis stated. "How can we hope to succeed?"

Shiva made a ragged cough. "You, must. Somehow. I, will restore your party to maximum possible strength." And with that, she waved her hands, causing Ravus and Ignis to drop to their knees in agony for one second. Ravus's bionic arm melted away, to be replaced with his original human arm. Ignis covered his eyes, unable to take the sudden bright light of his restored vision.

"That, is all I can do," she said regretfully. "I, am, sorry."

Prompto arrived on the scene, out of breath, carrying Shiva's child in his arms.

Upon seeing her daughter, Shiva gave a sad smile. She began melting, turning transparent. "Please, watch over my baby. She is mine, and Ifrit's no matter what he says. She, is the balance to us both." And with that, the Glacian became a puddle—what was left of her rapidly evaporating in the Lestallum sun.

Luna's hand dropped helplessly into the patch of street that had once been the Glacian, sorrow and despair on her face.

The party stared at each other in grim silence. Even Ardyn was unusually silent.

"He, killed the mother of his child," Ravus commented in horror, flexing his restored arm.

"How can we take something like that down," Prompto asked in awestruck fear.

"And he is after Iris," Gladio replied grimly.

Ignis, sight newly restored, was squinting at everything in all directions, attempting to recalibrate himself.

"The configuration has changed," he said. "We must adjourn somewhere and figure out what options are available to us."

"The Levelle is still standing," Ardyn said brightly. "I say if we must delay ourselves for planning purposes, we do so in comfort." So saying, he began sashaying towards the luxury hotel once more.

Out of ideas, the party decided to follow him.

* * *

Noctis and his (temporary or not) allies, returned to the Levelle unquestioned, unnoticed. The lobby was empty, the proprietor having fled outside to see what was going on. Prompto (Agneya in his arms) plopped heavily on the lobby sofa, with Luna following suit. Ignis was staring at everything in sight, like a starving man who never thought to eat again being offered a lavish buffet.

"Now, this won't do," Ardyn chided the team. "I daresay we need more, privacy, to discuss what happens next." And so saying he strolled behind the counter, glanced at the rack of room keys available, and grabbed one. "Let's adjourn to the Royal Suite, shall we," he commented with a flourish.

"You, stole a room key," Ravus replied in horror.

Ardyn waved his hand as though literally brushing away what he had just done. "Certainly not! Just, borrowing for the greater good."

"Put it back," Noctis ordered.

Ardyn ignored him, and began walking up the stairs. Noctis warped to block him. "I said, put it back," he replied coldly.

Ardyn just stared back impassively. "Oh, Noct. Do you really want to battle with me over this," he mocked.

"He's got a point, your Highness," Cor cut in, not wanting to see another duel. "The walls have ears after all."

The rest of the party trudged reluctantly to the Royal Suite.

* * *

"There, this is much better," Ardyn gushed as they entered the lavish set of rooms. It wasn't just a hotel room, but a suite with a sitting room, two bedrooms, and a bathroom. With exaggerated courtesy, he dragged one of the chairs forward and presented it to Luna. "For you, Milady," he oozed.

Luna gestured to Prompto. "You are holding Agneya. You should take the chair."

Prompto looked around uncertainly. Should he be the rude boor who took the chair from a lady? Gladio rolled his eyes at Prompto's idiocy and brought another chair forward for him.

"We need to analyze the problems at hand," Ignis commented coldly. "One, Ifrit. Two, Lux. Three, locating Miss Iris and Aranea."

"Don't forget Cindy," Prompto cut in. The baby in his lap didn't like his sudden movement and fidgeted, leaving him to awkwardly pat her before she had a meltdown.

"Indeed," Ignis replied.

"I fail to see why Lux is such a problem," Ardyn commented. "He is just a boy. I daresay if we defeat Ifrit, Lux will cease to be a threat."

"A boy who can wield the crystal, not a threat" Noctis asked in stark disbelief.

"So can you," Ardyn replied coldly. "If you wander back to Insomnia and reclaim the crystal, his influence will be over. That is, if you can get through Ifrit first. We should move forward on slaying him."

"And how do you recommend we do that," Ravus cut in. "We saw him take down a goddess. Even though she saw fit to return my arm and Ignis's vision, I still fail to see how that will help."

"You are all heroes of light," Ardyn mocked. "Surely you can slay one of the Six."

"You said you would help us bring down Ifrit," Noctis replied. "Now it's time for you to start helping."

"Oh, I will certainly 'help'", Ardyn replied. "That doesn't mean I have a plan though. You come up with the plan, and I will do my part."

Gladio smacked his hand on the back of a chair in frustration. "I'm not doin' anything until I know for sure Iris is ok."

"Why is Ifrit after her," Luna questioned the group. "If he wanted revenge on her because of you, Gladio, Ifrit would have attacked you on sight."

"Yeah," Noctis agreed. "What is his angle?"

"Indeed," Ardyn replied cloyingly. "We know he despises humans. Why would he make a point to go after 'her' specifically? I agree with you all. She should be our first priority. If nothing else, we can use her to lure Ifrit right to us—"

He broke off as Gladio put his giant sword to his throat. "You even think anything like that again and I will take your goddamned head off," Gladio snarled.

Ardyn backed off, smug smirk on his face. "Ah the loyal brother in action! Makes me miss mine," he concluded darkly.

"I believe we are agreed that Miss Iris is our priority," Ignis replied. "And I daresay Miss Aranea should have some valuable information for us as well. Before we discuss what happens next with Ifrit, I believe our next steps are to reunite with them, and Cindy," he added, looking to Prompto.

Prompto smiled. "But, what do we do with the, little one here? It's not like we can bring her with us. Besides, how are we supposed to take care of a God baby anyway?"

The whole group stared at the fussy baby in his arms, as though seeing her for the first time.

Luna rose, resigned. "I was once Oracle, and conduit to the Six. I can communicate with them moreso than anyone else here. I, suppose, that means caregiving duties fall to me. They saw fit to answer my pleas—it is my turn to answer theirs. And, more than that, Gentiana was, there for me when nobody else was. I owe her."

"Ah, the ever-nurturing Lady Lunafreya," Ardyn mocked, sneering that the lone female of the group was taking on the stereotypically feminine duty of taking care of a kid.

The others looked at each other. "You, do have a point, Luna," Noctis replied. "But I'm not leaving you here alone. Prompto, can you stay with her and Agneya?"

"Uh, sure," Prompto replied, flustered.

"Did you want to stay as well, Ravus," Ignis asked.

"Go with them," Luna urged. "They need all the help they can get," she added with a pointed look to Ardyn.

The look was not lost on Ardyn, and he smirked. "The more the merrier, I say," he oozed.

"We should make haste to Hammerhead," Ignis stated. "If anyone would know where Iris and Aranea are, I imagine it would be Cindy."

Noctis gave Prompto a level look. "We will be sure to tell Cindy you said 'hi'," he reassured Prompto.

"As long as you tell her I'm alive, we're cool," Prompto replied.

With logistics settled, the majority of the party made their way to Hammerhead.

* * *

 **Well, at least Ignis can see again and Ravus has his arm back. Hope this makes up for Shiva's demise. Sorry for the kill off but I have my reasons. Anyway, till next time. I have a little more ready to go and will hopefully have time to write some more this weekend.**


	24. Chapter 24: Homecoming (Part 2)

**Happy Friday one and all! I've got the next chapter for you. Thanks so much to everyone who has been sending in positive reviews and feedback. It makes me so happy :) Hope you all like where it goes from here and thanks for reading!**

* * *

"Is it really safe to go back to Hammerhead," Talcott asked his allies. "I mean, if this Belenus guy is looking for Iris and already dropped by there, we may end up bumping into him."

"We don't have a choice, really," Aranea stated. "We need supplies, and it's the closest outpost. Besides, when hunting a person, you tend not to linger in one place too long, or to revisit the same place, unless you have reason to believe the person is nearby. As far as we know, Belenus has no clue where she is and is just checking everywhere. Chances are he's moved on to Duscae by now."

"That's a lot of assumptions," Talcott replied dubiously.

"I won't run from him forever," Iris cut in. "As Aranea says, we need supplies. And if we happen to bump into Belenus while we're there, then I am forced to confront him," she replied decisively.

"No, we _all_ confront him," Aranea stated firmly. "We are all in this together to the end."

"Hammerhead it is, then," Talcott agreed.

The three campers packed up their stuff and returned to civilization, unaware of who they would meet on the other side.

* * *

"She won't stop crying," Prompto said to Luna in fear.

"I know," Luna said sadly, looking down to the miserable baby in her arms.

They had done everything they could think of, clean diaper, hugging, rocking, but nothing was helping. What was more unsettling was that she refused to eat the bottle they offered her.

"Maybe she doesn't eat what human babies eat," Luna commented sadly.

"Then what the hell are we supposed to do," Prompto demanded.

"You're sure having trouble with the little one there," a hearty female voice spoke behind them. "New parents," she asked knowingly.

Prompto turned sharply, embarrassed. "No! She's not ours, we're just—" he stopped abruptly as recognition set in.

The stocky woman with graying brown hair recognized him as well, and stopped mid-spate.

"Prompto? Is that you," she demanded in shock.

"Holly," he addressed the woman who was the de facto ruler of Lestallum, and Gladio's crush—or at least Prompto assumed so since Gladio had always gone out of his way to help her out with eradicating daemons from the power plant.

"I had heard you were," then she turned and saw Luna. "Oh my stars and garters! Luna too? It is so good to see—" Holly broke off as Agneya began hollering once more.

"I know you must be surprised to see us," Luna stated as calmly as she could. "It's kind of a long story as to what happened."

Holly shrugged. "We'll talk later. For now we've got to take care of that baby."

"But, she's not a human baby," Prompto blurted out, causing Holly to look back at him blankly.

"She is the offspring of Shiva," Luna explained.

"She's orphaned," Holly replied, appalled, but taking what they said in stride. She had seen the carnage that Ifrit and Shiva had left, and had seen Shiva's demise.

"We can't get her to eat," Luna said in quiet desperation.

"Hmm," Holly thought for a moment. "The Disc of Cauthess is nearby. It's a holy place for the Six. Maybe taking her there will help?"

"Do they have food for her there," Prompto asked.

"Only one way to find out," Holly said bracingly. "Hop into my truck. I'll take you there."

Out of options, Luna and Prompto agreed to give the Disc of Cauthess a chance. "Stay strong, little one," Luna whispered as they made their way out of town.

* * *

Cindy glanced at the two cars that turned smartly into her gas station. She knew all the local vehicles, and these weren't it. Travelers she assumed. She fixed a friendly smile on her face and went to welcome them.

The gray-haired man stepped gracefully out of the car. He looked out of place amid the humble travelers. He looked, elegant, regal, above the common rabble. Then he turned, and recognition hit her like a fist to the gut.

"N—Noctis," she spluttered out.

"Oh my! You aren't going to faint are you," oozed the foppish man beside him.

She recognized him too. Ardyn. Her knees buckled, and she collapsed to the ground—or at least would have if Noctis had not warped her way to grab her.

"Sorry to reveal ourselves like this," Noctis said in genuine regret. "I had no idea how to show up otherwise. I mean, if we'd called first you'd think it was a hoax."

She glanced at the others. Gladio, Cor, and Ignis were here as well. She looked expectantly at the white-haired man, but realized with a jolt that she did not recognize him at all.

"Prompto," was all she could whisper out, part question, part demand, part desperate plea.

"He's back too," Noctis said bracingly. "He and Luna are in Lestallum right now."

"What the hell happened," Cindy replied in broken shock.

"Let's adjourn inside, shall we," Ignis stated coolly. "We can explain everything there."

* * *

Cindy was used to coddling people, having them sit down in one of the booths of the diner so she could hear their woes and serve them good old-fashioned comfort food. Now she was in need of it herself. She was stuffed in the corner of the booth, just staring at her visitors in disbelief.

"You, say Bahamut sent you all back so you can destroy Belenus," she finally asked, grasping the main idea.

"Well, setting things right," Noctis said. "But that will involve taking down Belenus."

"Thank goodness," she said in relief. "As strong as they are, I'm not sure if Iris, Aranea, and Talcott could handle him by themselves."

"Iris is planning to confront Ifrit," Gladio demanded.

"That was the plan, yes," Cindy replied. "I'd better call them right now to tell them you're back. I don't want any surprises when they—" the door clanged.

"Hey Cindy, did you miss us," Talcott commented brightly. It was too late. The trio was back, with no warning of who they would see.

* * *

The three hunters stood frozen, digesting the scene that was before them. Iris stared wide-eyed, first at Noctis, then at Gladio.

"Gladdy," she gasped brokenly, then began to cry.

Gladio just stood there awkwardly, unsure how to handle his suddenly fragile sister.

Ravus rolled his eyes in disgust at Gladio's idiocy. He stepped forward, offering her a handkerchief. "For you, Miss Iris," he spoke smoothly. "I gather you have had quite a rough time."

She glanced up at him, blinking away the tears to see him more clearly. "Have, we met," she asked.

He smiled ruefully. "Not officially, but you may have seen me on the news before. I am Ravus Nox Fleuret."

"Oh," she said, suddenly flustered and embarrassed that she had wept before a stranger, and a celebrity at that. "Uh. I'm sorry. Thanks, for the handkerchief."

"It's nothing," he replied gently. "I'm sorry your brother is such an insensitive oaf right now, but that seems par for the course for him." There seemed to be no malice in his tone—if one didn't know better, they'd think he was teasing Gladio.

"Ok ok," Gladio said gruffly, then edged forward to give Iris a hearty hug. "I'm so glad you're safe," he said, gruffly hiding tears to see his lost sister unharmed once more.

Ignis and Aranea stared at each other in rapt attention.

"Oh, the wind sits in that quarter does it," Ardyn sneered from the sidelines.

Ardyn was here? Aranea made a shocked gasp then behaved instinctively. She lunged forward, ready to strike at the author of all their woes. Ardyn warped backwards, and Ignis moved to intercept her, grabbing her firmly but gently by the shoulders and pulling her against him.

"Believe it or not, he's with us at the moment," Ignis said gently.

There was no way Ignis could have sensed her reaction and moved that quickly to grab her. Unless…

"You can see," she stated.

Ignis nodded. "It is a fairly recent occurrence, but indeed," he replied.

Ignis had the urge to touch her face, as he had had to do to perceive things in the past. However he suddenly remembered that he could actually see her now. His green eyes studied her intently behind his glasses. This was the first time he had really seen her in ten years, he realized. And even if he hadn't had his vision back, he didn't need to feel her face anyway. She looked the same as she had ten years ago. Her platinum blonde hair was the same—her features just as hauntingly beautiful. She would be even if she had aged 100 years though, Ignis thought with an amused smirk.

It finally sunk in to Aranea that Ignis could see her. And she was a wreck. Having just come back from the wilderness, her clothes were dusty. She had not bathed in a couple of days, and her hair was a mess. She self-consciously smoothed her mussed hair back in an effort to fix it. She missed a chunk that tumbled back over her face. Ignis calmly reached over and tucked it back behind her ear. She realized that she was still pressed against him. And that for being dead, his chest beneath his dapper suit was quite warm and strong against her own. For the first time in her life, Aranea blushed.

She stepped back awkwardly and cleared her throat. "Ok. So were you or were you not dead? Or am I dead," she demanded.

"Do you want the short version or the long version," Ardyn taunted from the sidelines.

She looked at him sharply but didn't lunge this time. He was the same as he had ever been—dressed the same, the same smug smirk on his face. And she for all intents and purposes had a child with him, she remembered in cold horror. She quickly looked away so he couldn't tell anything by her expression.

"I've got this," Noctis said, and began to speak.

* * *

The crystal was not responding to him, Lux realized in surprise. He glanced warily at Belenus to see if he could tell. Belenus was ignoring him for now. He was standing, arms behind him, staring out the window at the fire dome he had created. Was he keeping his word, or had he destroyed more of the city while Lux was trying to use the crystal? He had to hope not.

The light of the crystal was dim, as though not interested in anything Lux had to say. On the one hand, Lux was terrified that Belenus would see, and how he would react. On the other hand, Lux was relieved. There was no way he could destroy Lestallum now.

"So, is it done," Belenus demanded.

"Yes," Lux said flatly. "I have told the crystal to smite Lestallum." There. That part wasn't a lie, Lux thought smugly. He had told the crystal to do it. It just, wasn't listening to him.

Belenus smiled. A chilling feral grin. "Stay by that crystal," he demanded. "I will have a list of targets for you soon."

"Uh, ok," Lux replied, wondering how long he could pretend to be doing Belenus's bidding before he was caught.

* * *

"At least there are no earthquakes this time," Prompto ventured from his corner of the truck.

"That's not good," Luna replied. "That means that Titan may not be there. If he's not, I don't know what we will do." As if to reinforce their powerlessness, baby Agneya began screaming again.

"We cross that bridge when we come to it," Holly said bracingly from behind the wheel of her ratty old truck. "No point in worrying about it now—that's weird," she cut herself off as she took in the graying sky before them.

"We never get rain out in these parts," she added in confusion, then jumped involuntarily as there was a crash of thunder.

"Stop the car," Luna ordered.

Holly reluctantly complied, but looked at the gathering storm nervously. To her, earthquakes were common occurrences while thunderstorms weren't. She'd take an earthquake any day over a storm.

Lightning began, and became brighter and brighter, with shortening times between the strikes.

Luna climbed out of the car, almost as though she were in a trance.

"Luna," Prompto called out in concern, then stepped out nervously to join her. Agneya was left wriggling on the floor of the passenger's seat.

Luna was staring up at the sky, squinting through the downpour drenching her face and turning her hair into lank strands. "Ramuh. I know you're there. Please, show yourself."

There was a deafening crash of thunder right next to them. There was a scream of fear from the car, but they couldn't tell if it was Holly or Agneya's. Then the bearded robed old man appeared before them.

"The Archean cannot help you," Ramuh replied. "As you know, he was slain by the Empire in Altissia. It will take some time for him to reincarnate and return to his home."

"Then why did Shiva and Ifrit come back," Prompto demanded. "I mean, we took care of Ifrit last, uh, last time, and he's already reincarnated."

"Shiva didn't kill him in Insomnia. She merely summoned him to the Astral realm in an attempt to make him see the errors of his ways. Based on how quickly he returned to this world to wreak havoc, unfortunately her mission was unsuccessful. That is also how she returned so quickly as well. His hatred for humans brought him back, and Shiva's ardent desire to save Ifrit from himself summoned her back to this world."

"What can we do for Agneya," Luna asked in desperation. "She won't eat. Her mother is…"

"I know," Ramuh said sadly. "And it is vital that she survive. If she does not, I fear for the world."

"What do you mean," Prompto demanded. "The way I see it Ifrit is already causing enough damage."

"Shiva is gone forever from the cycle of rebirth," Ramuh replied. "Ifrit broke the cycle that has lasted eons. The two of them have kept the balance of heat and coldness to keep this planet stable. Without Shiva, the planet will inevitably become too hot to support life. Even if you manage to slay Ifrit, then there will be nobody to keep the planet warm, turning the planet into a frozen wasteland at night, a burning waste during the day."

"From darkness to intemperateness," Luna replied in dawning horror. "This is worse than the starscourge! At least humans could survive in darkness. Without temperature control…"

"Agneya is our only hope now," Ramuh replied. "She contains Shiva's coldness and Ifrit's warmth. If she shares her mother's love for the planet and humans, she will be able to carry on both their legacies. In order to sustain her life, and to keep the balance in her young fragile state, she must be taken to a place where both cold and warmth reign. I shall take her there and watch over her until she is strong enough to balance ice and fire on her own."

"Where is that," Luna asked in genuine curiosity. "I mean, there is no such place on the planet that I know of that has both extremes in one place."

"Eos is a big place," Ramuh replied. "There are places that even you have not explored. In the snowy wastes of the north, there exists a volcanic slope. Between the warmth of the geysers and the cold of the surrounding ice, Agneya will find a place to thrive. Only one of my kind can nurture her now. I am grateful to you both for attempting to undertake the burden."

"So, I guess this means you won't be able to take Ifrit down for us," Prompto asked dryly.

"The world itself is my main priority," Ramuh replied. "And Ifrit is no longer part of that world. I must see to the future of the world, and that future is Agneya. Ifrit's fate, I leave to you."

Luna returned to the car, and gingerly picked up the fragile baby in her arms. She carried her out to Ramuh. "I will entrust her to you then," she replied. "Please, watch over her."

"I shall," Ramuh promised. And with that, he took Luna's charge, and claimed it as his responsibility.


	25. Chapter 25: Estranged Parents

**Happy Friday Everyone! I got a little inspired this week, so I was able to go on a writing binge-I have a bit more now to keep going :-) As usual, hope you like it and thanks for reading!**

* * *

"So, you're telling me the Six 'felt bad for you', so gave you all a hunky dory existence in the afterlife, and you decided to come back because of Ifrit," Aranea demanded to her regal storyteller in stark disbelief.

"I may have had something to do with that," Cor replied humbly. "You see, because of what Ifrit did to me, I was tasked with requesting everyone return to set things right."

"And why him," Aranea spat, giving Ardyn a furious glance.

"Just as feisty as ever, aren't you Commodore Highwind," Ardyn oozed back. Aranea hissed in anger.

"It is as Noct said," Ignis replied almost apologetically. "In order for us to return, Ardyn had to as well."

"And you really trust him," she demanded.

"Yeah, Ignis," Iris ventured hesitantly. "I've got to agree with Aranea on this one. You know what Ardyn did last time."

"I don't trust him either. I'm watchin' him," Gladio replied firmly.

"If you are done speaking about me as if I weren't present," Ardyn cut in snidely. "I will reiterate what I have said ad nauseum to the others. I detest Ifrit as much as you do. As long as you seek his grisly demise, I shall assist you in that effort. It is to your benefit that I am here."

"And what happens after," Aranea replied bitterly. "If you even think about getting your slimy hooks into Lux, I will kill you," she added with enough viciousness to shock the whole room.

Ardyn looked at her speculatively. "It is reassuring to know that a stalwart woman such as yourself has decided to be so protective of the boy," he replied affably. "However, I do wonder why that is. What is he to you," he added with a sudden intensity.

Aranea paled. She had revealed too much. She never wanted Ardyn to know the truth about Lux, and how it related to her. She couldn't meet his gaze and looked away, only to flinch as Ardyn stepped closer, cupped her chin, and turned her face to meet his gaze. "Really, you can't keep me from the boy," Ardyn added darkly. "Lux is my, er, descendent, if the rumor mill is to be believed."

Aranea jumped back to free herself from his grasp. "He is related to you," she spat out. "However, he's related to me too. And I won't let you hurt him."

All the heads in the room slew towards her, but she steadfastly ignored them, keeping her determined and furious gaze on Ardyn. Her secret was out—the die was cast.

Ardyn looked at her intently for a moment, as though judging her as worthy or not to have his kid, Aranea thought in disgust. Then he spoke. "Verstael couldn't have chosen better! Although, gene splicing would not be my preferred way of having a child with you—" he broke off as Aranea slapped him across the face.

"You go, girl," Iris chortled with glee.

Ardyn rubbed his reddened cheek. "I suppose that comment was out of line. Apologies," he replied calmly.

Aranea couldn't deal with this right now. She strode blindly out of the diner.

"Unless you want a repeat of our duel at the Altar of the Tidemother, I would suggest you never speak to Aranea like that again," Ignis told Ardyn coldly, a deadly threat in his voice obvious. Then he strode after Aranea.

Ravus gave Ardyn a harsh glare, then offered his arm to Iris to escort her to the other side of the diner away from him. She took it with a bashful smile that made Gladio's eyes narrow in suspicion. Then Gladio followed them to their corner of the diner.

Cor and Noctis stood on either side of Ardyn. "You're forgetting your place, Ardyn," Noctis said coldly, arrogantly, every inch a king. "I am King of Insomnia, not you. If you ever behave like that again, I will pick up where Ignis leaves off."

"Consider me put in my place," Ardyn said placatingly. "However, despite your vaunted power, I don't think your Majordomo would leave any pieces of me left. There is something between him and the, for all intents and purposes, mother of my offspring," he mused. "Should I be jealous?"

"Is he still immortal? Can we just kill him," Cor asked Noctis conversationally.

Noctis didn't reply.

* * *

The dry desert air, reeking of diesel fuel was nevertheless fresh to Aranea's nose. As long as she wasn't breathing the same air as Ardyn, she could breathe. Why the hell had she blurted out the truth like that, in front of everyone? What must they think of her?

"Aranea," a cool gentle voice spoke behind her. Her nerves still must have been on edge—she jerked as though she were under attack. She whirled to face the threat. It was Ignis, she realized. It should have calmed her down, but it didn't. She studied him in the full light of day. He looked just as he had the last time she had seen him, before Noctis had suddenly returned, and they had gone to their destiny. His light brown hair was just as expertly coiffed. His suit was just as dapper as ever. The only difference was his clear gaze. It was almost insulting—all they had gone through and he still looked as though he had just stepped out of a photo shoot.

He was regarding her with a mix of worry and compassion that she didn't want. It didn't fit with her impression of herself. She wanted his feelings of betrayal and fury (as she had about herself), but he wasn't giving it.

"Do you want to talk about it," he added gently, which just made it worse.

"What is there to talk about," she snapped back bitterly. "You heard it. Lux is my kid as well as his. I was complicit in the empire's schemes, down to being their lab rat and mothering their Chancellor's child."

Ignis's expression didn't change. "What happened," he asked calmly, gently, as though she would break if he was more forceful.

It came out in a flood, the rare blood type, the using her blood sample from her physical to join with Ardyn and daemon DNA to grow Lux in a test tube.

"It's been ten years," she replied bitterly. "Lux was rotting in a tube in Gralea for ten years, and I didn't know about it. I could have—I don't know. Rescued him, raised him as a human," she shuddered, "put him out of his misery if he were full on daemon. I, just don't know." She turned away from him to try to get control of herself, but it was an elusive thing. She couldn't stop shaking.

Ignis put his hand tentatively on her shoulder, just as he had done previously when trying to gauge her reactions when he couldn't see them.

"You know now, and are doing something about it," Ignis replied. "That is enough."

"I should have known when I first met him—"

"I should have known Ardyn was bad news the first time I met him," Ignis replied coolly. "And I didn't. All you can do sometimes is take what you learned and do something about it."

"Ardyn," she hissed in anger. "I, feel as dirty as if I actually did sleep with him to end up with Lux," she confessed. And at the thought of it, she actually retched.

Ignis shifted his grip, putting his arm around her waist and drawing her back against him. The warmth of his body was comforting, as though it was warding off a chill that she didn't know she had.

"I've always been one for facts," Ignis replied gently. "And the facts tell me it was done without your knowledge, and would have been something you would have refused to do if you had known. And now that you have found out, you are doing something about it. There is no need to feel guilty or shamed about it, ever."

"I, don't want you to think that I ever had anything to do with him," Aranea replied, hesitantly.

Ignis turned her around gently to face him. "I know you never did," Ignis replied. "However, why does it matter to you what I think?"

Aranea stared at the man she never thought to see again. The man who had gone to his grave caring for others over himself. He was back, and gazing at her with such an intensity that she couldn't turn away. Why was his opinion so important to her? She knew the answer, but years of hiding her "feminine weaknesses" held her silent.

"We have always been honest with each other," Ignis stated. "You can say whatever you want to say to me without fear or censure."

Aranea wanted to, so badly that she almost shook with it. Better yet, she wanted to throw herself even further into his arms and hold him until she was sure he was actually here and not some kind of illusion. She wanted to love him, to give him the love he denied himself. And that desire, so foreign and contrary to her nature, frightened her most of all. She broke free of his grasp, gently, and stepped back.

"I know," she said sadly then returned inside. Even though Ardyn was there, there were enough people around that she could regain her focus.

Ignis stood in the heat, staring after here, a tortured expression on his face.

* * *

The men's room in the back of the Hammerhead diner was small and cramped. Cindy must not be in charge of cleaning it, Ardyn thought, his aquiline nose wrinkling in fastidious disgust at the smell. Really it was lowering to be treated like this—the only privacy given when he claimed he needed to use the restroom.

Still, this gave him an opportunity to test out a little theory of his. One that, if true, he didn't want his jailers to know. Taking one last glance around to ensure he was alone, he unbuttoned his ruffled shirt to expose his shoulder, then manifested his dagger.

Taking a deep breath, he slid the dagger into his exposed shoulder. He winced at the pain—it reminded him of Noctis's killing blow in Insomnia. He withdrew the dagger and smirked bitterly as the wound continued to bleed.

This was one thing the Six hadn't seen fit to replicate, he observed clinically. When they brought him back, they had not seen fit to give him back his immortality. He was just as mortal as a frail human. And Ifrit could (and probably would) kill him in any battle they saw fit to enter. And if Noct and his friends found out about his petty state, he was doomed.

He shrugged, hissing at the pain in his shoulder. It looked like he would have to dissemble a little bit. If he acted as though he were still immortal, they would have no way of knowing otherwise. He just had to keep his wound hidden. He washed the wound as best he could—hating the smell and feel of the pink industrial liquid soap mixing with his blood. Then he bandaged it as best he could with the paper towels from the automatic dispenser. There, he thought smugly. Assuming he did not get an infection from this less than stellar bathroom, his secret was safe.

Buttoning his shirt and fluffing his cloaks to obscure any tell-tale bloodstains or bandage bulges, he was ready to return to his jailers and maintain the lie. Just as he had always done.

* * *

"So, how is Cindy these days," Prompto asked Holly nonchalantly.

She glanced at him knowingly from her place behind the wheel. "She's doing fine. Same as always. I called Cindy. She knows we're coming. Sorry to ruin the element of surprise but—"

"I don't want to surprise her," Prompto said. "It's weird enough coming to see her after coming back from the dead. There's no way in hell I'd show up unannounced. She'd have a heart attack!"

"Glad to hear you care," Holly replied. "She's still married to her work, but maybe you will change all that, eh," she added coyly.

Prompto blushed. "I didn't mean it like that! I, just wondered how she's doing," he replied, flustered.

Holly smirked. "Sure you did," she taunted gently. "Between you and me, I think you have a chance with her if you want it. She was so broken up after you, left. Absence may have made her heart grow fonder."

"Uh, can we talk about something else," Prompto replied, desperate to change the subject. Luna took pity on him.

"Thanks again for driving us to Hammerhead, Holly," she said with the urbanity of a queen. "I know with all that's going on in Lestallum it is taking a lot of your time doing this."

"Pshaw," Holly replied. "The way I see it, rebuilding Lestallum is a short term solution at best as long as Ifrit is still out there. Getting you guys to Noctis and Gladio so you can defeat that bastard is a much better use of my time. Besides, it gives me a chance to smack Gladio's face for not stopping by to see me when he was in Lestallum," she added jokingly, but with a serious enough edge to it that Prompto and Luna stopped to listen closer.

"I'm sure he would have," Prompto said bracingly. "He was just so worried about his sister that he—"

"I get it," Holly said. "That doesn't mean that I will let him off though."

"Well, since you called at least he is warned too," Prompto commented.

Holly ignored him, and kept her eyes on the road on the long silent journey to Hammerhead.

* * *

It was Ignis's turn to stand alone outside the Hammerhead diner, breathing in the fuel-stenched air. He should probably return to the others, but he couldn't trust himself right now. He found himself wanting to punch Ardyn in the face for his insinuations about Aranea, especially since Ignis now knew how tortured Aranea already was about it all.

To see Aranea broken and vulnerable had nearly broken him too. Ignis had wanted to hold her closer, to protect her against the threats she was (for the moment) unable to handle herself. Protect—that is all he knew how to do, he thought with a flash of bitterness. Aranea didn't need a knight in shining armor—she'd be more likely to push that knight aside and slay the dragons herself. But then, what did she need, he wondered.

She was so worried that he thought less of her at the very idea that she may have had something to do with Ardyn, and he wondered why. She should have been more worried about Noctis's good opinion as King, but she had valued his instead. It had made him wonder, for one tantalizing moment, if she actually needed _him_. That he actually had a chance at melting the heart of such a strong, confident woman. A woman he had to admit he had admired for ten years, but he had not been able to express it.

There were many people who could function well and live "normal" lives without their vision. It did not have to be a handicap, or the end of a "normal" life. However, he had seen it as such. He could not stop focusing on what he had given up and lost. He remembered suddenly what he had told Noctis in Altissia, after gaining the Hydrean's blessing at so much cost, when he had all but encouraged Noctis to give up on the quest because they had all lost so much. The whining of a bitter man who had railed against his fate.

Ignis had seen his blindness as a prison, and one he had not wanted Aranea to endure with him. What could a broken, maimed man offer a woman like that? It hadn't mattered that he had cared about her, and that every time he spoke with her he felt less alone, less trapped in the dark. He had kept her at a distance to spare himself the torture of loving a woman he couldn't see, and to spare her having to deal with him.

Now that his vision had returned, what did that mean? It didn't seem fair somehow to suddenly have hope just because of a whim of fate that Shiva had seen fit to restore his vision as her last official act in her existence. He hadn't earned it—didn't deserve it. It was almost unfair to drink in the sights of the fading daylight in Hammerhead, to watch the neon lights come on in the approaching darkness, to see the red horizon to the east—wait. That wasn't right. A red sunset should be to the west. Why was the east red?

He strained his vision. The red he was seeing wasn't a sunset. It was light pollution from something giving off red light. And the only source of a red light—fire. There was a fire to the east of them. Was it Insomnia? Noct had to know right now.

* * *

Lux was exhausted. Belenus (now in his big scary form), had refused to let Lux eat or rest. He kept demanding Lux use the crystal. Granted, Lux didn't know much of the world, but with the list of places Belenus had told him to smite, he imagined if the crystal actually listened to him that there would be no places left to hurt.

As far as Lux could tell, Belenus had not destroyed any other portions of Insomnia. However, the red dome was still there, hovering dangerously close to the roofs of the skyscrapers. The radiant heat of the fire had even seeped into the throne room, making Lux sweat. He thought of asking Belenus to make it more comfortable for him to use the crystal, but at the mad look on his mentor's face, he refrained.

Lux just stayed, hands hovering over the crystal, going through the motions, pretending that he was obeying Belenus's wishes.

"I must admire your strength," Ifrit told him cynically. "I seem to recall the first time you used the crystal, it completely drained you. Look at you now."

Show no weakness, Lux reminded himself desperately. "Yes, I'm stronger now," Lux replied boldly.

"Hmph. Stronger? Or are you not actually using it," Ifrit demanded.

Lux paled. "I've told it to smite everything you told me to," Lux replied defensively.

"Then why is Lestallum still standing," Ifrit roared, backhanding Lux with a force that knocked him to the floor. He lay still a moment, wondering if he could pretend he was unconscious or dead.

The heavy footsteps approached until they stood beside him. Then the hand reached down and grabbed him by the collar, pulling him up to Ifrit's face level. "You know what I think," Ifrit said with clenched teeth. "It is not listening to you because you are weak. You are acting like a 'human'. Too weak to be able to destroy. I don't think in your present state you can destroy anything."

Screw it, Lux thought. "You're right," he replied coldly, angrily. "I can't and won't destroy this world. I don't have it in me to destroy anything like you can."

Ifrit smirked, a look that despite Ifrit's fiery nature chilled Lux to the bone. "Actually, I think you do. You are part daemon after all. If you can't, it can." And with that, Ifrit's hand heated up, starting Lux's shirt on fire. The pain was unbearable, and Lux began screaming.


	26. Chapter 26: Royal Convoy

**Hi Everyone! I've got the next chapter ready. I'm dangerously low on material again-my computer crashed, and I only recently got it back up and running. I didn't lose what I had done though, so at least there's that. I hope to have more done this weekend so I can keep up my weekly drop. Fingers crossed! Anyway, without further ado, here you are. Thanks as always for reading!**

* * *

Noctis and his allies stared at the horizon in consternation.

"That sure looks like Insomnia is in trouble to me," Gladio spoke grimly.

"Ifrit did something," Iris spoke in concern. "I hope Lux is ok."

"Rather than speculate on what Ifrit may or may not have done, we should see for ourselves," Ardyn oozed condescendingly.

"But, Luna and Prompto aren't here yet," Iris stated uncertainly.

Ardyn rolled his eyes. "As beneficial as Noctis's fair queen and the little gunman are, the longer we wait for them, the more Insomnia burns," he commented.

"Ardyn is right," Aranea said in disgust—it was unclear if it was disgust that they had to go on ahead, or if it was because she had agreed with Ardyn on something. "We are out of time. We need to get going."

"In any battle, there are multiple waves of attackers," Cor volunteered. "I say Iris and Talcott wait here then bring Luna and Prompto when they arrive as reinforcements. The rest of us will venture ahead now." Then he looked apologetically to Noctis. "Er, perhaps I spoke out of turn? You are king. It is your decision."

"Makes sense to me," Noctis replied diffidently. "Let's go."

The party made their way to their vehicles. Aranea watched Ardyn to see which car he was moving towards, and picked the other one. This put her with Ravus and Ignis.

Noctis watched Ardyn sashay to the car, cloaks swaying in the breeze. Had they made a mistake bringing him with them? Could they really "use" him as Ignis had said? If anyone was using anyone in this scenario, he suspected it was Ardyn using them for some purpose Noctis could not decipher.

Ardyn continued to claim that he was on their side, but was he really? What would happen when they reached Insomnia? Was Ardyn still immortal and powerful? Noctis hadn't seen evidence of it one way or the other, or seen much of anything from him really. Should Noctis do the unthinkable—preemptively strike down Ardyn now on the off chance he would betray them again? He knew Cor and Gladio were anxious to kill Ardyn—they would eagerly back him up.

Noctis shook his head in disgust at the notion. Was he really that much of an asshole? What was he thinking? He wasn't Ardyn, the type to betray trust and turn back on his word. He would give Ardyn the chance. And at the first sign of treachery, there would be six pissed-off warriors aware of his tricks and perfectly capable of taking him down.

* * *

Apparently it was an unspoken rule that when a female was riding in a car with males, gentlemanly etiquette dictated that they give the female the passenger seat. Aranea silently cursed Ravus's gentlemanly behavior as he made his way into the back seat, leaving her with the seat next to Ignis. It crossed her mind to get in the back too next to Ravus, but that would be too obvious.

She slid awkwardly into the passenger seat and sat stiffly as Ignis started the car, made a smooth Y turn, then turned onto the main road. She was on her half of the car, but it still felt too close to him. She thought she could feel his body heat radiating, making her remember how she had felt pressed against him. She didn't need to think about that now.

And why did it feel so weird, she wondered. She had touched him routinely in the past ten years. It is how she had gotten his attention or communicated with him without a visual. It had never felt awkward, or uncomfortable. It had been as impersonal as a handshake, and to even think of it in a more intimate light was disturbing. However, there had been times when she did. When he had touched her face to make sure she was ok after a daemon hunt, she had wondered what would have happened if he had leaned forward and touched his mouth to hers. She always banished the thought when it arose, but thoughts like that had lingered.

Just like now—what would happen if she fell asleep in the car and leaned her head on his shoulder? She gave him a sidelong glance. It was strange—riding with a driver who had been blind almost the entire time she had known him. Now she was relying on him to see the path before him and to not kill them all in a car wreck. He was ever a quick learner, she mused. Ten years of not driving at all, and he was still able to navigate the intricacies of a manual transmission car without any problem. He was competent, a cool calm expert, at everything he did. Was there anything he couldn't do, she wondered?

Well, he couldn't care for himself, she remembered sadly. He always protected others over himself, never doing anything just for himself. It was always for someone else. She wouldn't let him this time. She may not be able to love him the way he deserved, but she sure as hell could protect him. And she would. She would just have to banish any notions of attraction she may have for him. And that was a tall order.

Her troubled thoughts shifted as soon as she saw the red haze across the bridge. Even Ignis stopped the car in shock.

"Sometimes I wish I was wrong more often," Ignis said regretfully, surveying the tormented city before them.

It looked like it had when the Wall was up. Except, instead of a magic crystal shield, this was a wall of flame.

"Is there a way through," Ravus asked in concern.

"I do not know," Ignis replied. "Let us get closer, shall we?"

* * *

The two carloads of people stood on the bridge leading to Insomnia, staring in continued disbelief at the fire dome.

"I say, this is troublesome," Ardyn commented idly.

"Is there any way through," Ravus asked.

"Why don't you try to walk through the dome and find out," Ardyn riposted snidely.

"The flames appear to touch the road," Ignis cut in, in an effort to diffuse any arguments.

In his opinion, there was no way through—the flames made a full dome, even touching the ground around the city. How in bloody hell were they supposed to get in?

Cor was studying the bay around the city that the bridge was going across. "Fire and water don't mix," he stated. "Do you think there are any gaps within the bay?"

"We boat in," Noctis asked.

"That's what I'm thinking," the Marshall replied.

"I don't see any boats," Aranea stated. "They'd be more likely to be in the city, right," she asked.

"We opened a fishing pier on this side of the bay, in honor of Noctis," Cor replied, with an awkward look to Noctis in case he objected. "It rents boats."

"Fishing pier, huh," Noctis said dryly.

"Don't you be getting any ideas," Gladio taunted. "Fight now, fish later."

"No kidding," Noctis replied.

"Well, if we are going to burn, I'd rather it be in a boat sailing toward oblivion than in an automobile. There is more, dignity in that, wouldn't you say," Ardyn commented mockingly. "Let us find these boats of yours."

Cor looked to Noctis, preferring the advice of his king rather than the Usurper. Noctis simply nodded.

"We are too close to drive it," Cor said. "It is a half mile walk along the coast from here."

"Hiking. Just like old times," Gladio replied in amusement.

* * *

The sound of a text message startled Luna. She couldn't remember the last time she had received one, or had had a phone for that matter. Noctis had picked up a prepaid phone for her on the way out of Lestallum that they could use in case of emergency. The fact that it was going off now spelled danger.

Prompto evidently thought the same thing.

"What is it," he asked in concern.

"It's Noctis," Luna replied. "They, can't want for us in Hammerhead. Insomnia is in danger. They have gone ahead to the Crown City."

"Should we bypass Hammerhead then," Prompto asked regretfully, but fully expecting the answer.

Luna gave him a sidelong glance. She knew the most practical thing was to head straight to Insomnia, but there was a crestfallen expression in Prompto's gaze. She knew he wanted to see Cindy, and she couldn't prevent it. She knew full well what it was like to forego time with somebody you cared about in exchange for the greater good, and how hollow it was in the end.

"We need to fuel up anyway," Luna replied as practically as she could. "We might as well stop there first and see what is going on."

Prompto's happy grin was a revelation. "Woohoo! I, mean, ok yeah that makes sense," Prompto replied, trying to act practical but failing.

"Guess I'll keep playing hide and seek with Gladio," Holly commented prosaically.

"You'll catch him in Insomnia, that is, if you want to come with us," Prompto replied.

"I can drive you there, no problem. However, I know my limits. There wouldn't be much I could do other than that."

"Don't sell yourself short, Holly," Luna replied. "Sometimes what you think is a little thing is what turns the tide."

Holly simply shrugged. "Here we are," she replied, changing the subject, and making them notice that they had reached Hammerhead.

They couldn't see Cindy at first, until they saw the boots sticking out from underneath a car.

"I hope you're fixin' that thing and not mowed down by it, Cindy" was Holly's greeting.

Cindy shoved herself forward, back into the open air, and rose from the wheeled dolly she had been laying on. Her eyes focused on Prompto first, to Holly's amusement.

Then she seemed to remember herself. "Nice to see you, Holly," she replied, as blasé as she could be.

Holly wasn't fooled. "As glad as I am to see you, I don't think I'm your first choice right now," and with that she gave Prompto a hearty shove forward. He wasn't expecting it and lurched forward to brush against Cindy.

"Er, sorry," he replied, taking a step back, but still keeping his gaze fixed on her.

She had a smudge of grease on her nose. Her red cap was askew. She looked like "Cindy", and he realized how much he had missed her.

"Um, nice to see you," he said. "I uh, wasn't sure how to explain we were back. I guess Noct told you, right?"

Cindy smiled. "Yeah. I admit I was surprised to not see you with them, but I hear you were takin' care of other things."

"Yeah," Prompto replied with a goofy smile.

Luna and Holly had stepped back to give Prompto and Cindy space. Iris was oblivious.

"Prompto," she said brightly, rushing up to give him a friendly hug. "It's so good to see you!"

Holly and Luna looked at each other, resigned. They had tried anyway.

After the requisite greetings, Iris gave them the lowdown.

"When you're ready, Talcott and I will go with you to Insomnia," Iris stated.

Luna looked to Prompto. "I think we're good to go," Prompto said.

Holly sighed in frustration that he had blown his chance with Cindy, but otherwise kept her opinions of Prompto to herself. "I can take you guys up there," she said. "It may be a tight squeeze with the five of us, but if you don't mind riding in the truck bed, we can make it work."

The party agreed, and began piling into the truck.

Prompto hung back. "Um, Cindy," he asked. "When this is, all over, would you mind uh, going out with me?"

Cindy smirked, and pretended to think a moment. "Out where," she asked coyly.

"Uh, wherever you want to go really," he replied.

"It's a date then," Cindy replied brightly, then stepped up to give Prompto a hug. He returned it with surprise. "That means you've gotta come back though," she murmured against him. "Be careful."

"You know it," Prompto said brightly, then made his way to Holly's truck. He would protect Noctis, save the world, then come back to Cindy, in that order. He would make sure of it.

* * *

The shore around Insomnia's bay was sandy. The desert of Leide gave way to a sandy beach. While it was not as impressive or as developed as the late, great Galdin Quay, it had still given Insomnians a place to sun themselves before the Empire attacked. Gladio was in his element, striding along the beach, at one with nature.

Ardyn, not so much. His face twisted as his feet stumbled in the brown sand. "I do believe I have sand in my boots," he complained.

"Can it," Gladio replied. "Ravus has got white armor on that shows any speck of dirt, and he's not complaining."

"My armor is sand proof," Ravus replied prosaically.

"I have never been one for the outdoors," Ardyn replied coldly.

Noctis was looking around. "Is it true that Galdin Quay is gone," he asked the group at large.

Aranea nodded. "Unfortunately, yes. I, haven't seen it myself, but Biggs and Wedge gave me all the details. A tsunami hit it from what they say."

"A tsunami hit that, and an asteroid hit Gralea," Ardyn commented, digesting the information. "Sounds to me like someone has been busy with the crystal."

Aranea bit her lip. "It's not Lux's fault," she snapped out defensively.

"He's just following orders," Ardyn mocked coldly.

"I won't let the crystal be used like that anymore," Noctis stated, coldly resolute. "I will stop all this and set things right."

"And we will assist you this time," Ignis replied.

"Ah, the heroes of light at last," Ardyn taunted, only to break off sputtering as Gladio gave him a shove that made him fall flat on his face in the few inches of sandy water that met the beach.

Ardyn emerged from the water with as much dignity as he could muster. His excess cloaks were sodden—his auburn mane was speckled with wet sand. He tossed his head like a wet dog to clear it, ignoring the barely suppressed amusement at his misfortune that the rest of his comrades had.

"Didn't mean to push that hard. Sorry," Gladio commented.

"Oh, I think you did," was all Ardyn said.

"There's the boats," Cor said, pointing to the shack in front of them.

"Thank goodness they're here," Ravus replied, and looked around to see who they needed to request permission from. There was nobody.

"It appears the attendants have fled," Ignis commented, surveying the fire dome across the bay once more. It was still hard to see if the fire dome extended all the way to the water.

"We should take three," Noctis instructed. "I will take the first boat, alone, and see if we can get through. If I make it, you guys can sail in behind me."

"Not happening, Noct," Gladio stated firmly. "We're your guards. Where you go, Cor, Iggy, and myself go too. We four go together, Aranea, Ravus, and Ardyn follow in the second boat."

Ignis looked to Aranea regretfully. She knew that look—he wanted "so badly" to sail with her, but duty to Noct came first. Fine, she thought.

"Don't worry," she said. "Ravus and I will make sure Ardyn doesn't start anything. You go ahead with your king," she stated boldly, doing her best to keep any frustration out of her voice. She knew logically that Ignis's duty to Noctis came first, but it still rankled.

"Honestly, dear Commodore, what do you think I can do in a boat," Ardyn sniped with indignation.

"You arranged the Starscourge. You're up to anything," she replied.

Ardyn smirked. "Flattery will get you everything, Dear Aranea," he oozed, reveling in her angry hiss. So predictable, he thought smugly.

Ravus stayed silent, and trudged forward to commandeer the nearest boat.

"A moment if you please, Commodore Highwind," Ardyn asked Aranea in all seriousness.

She turned to him, warily. "Back to Commodore, are we," she snarked back.

"If you prefer 'Dear Aranea', I can use that instead," Ardyn replied insinuatingly.

"What do you want," she replied, coldly.

"It's about Lux. What are you prepared to do when you see him again?"

"Anything," Aranea said. "You may think of him as a pawn or some kind of sick thing like that. However, I feel, responsible for him. I will do whatever I need to for him."

"And, if you have to save him from himself," Ardyn replied coolly. "After all, he is part daemon. Are you prepared to, release him from his suffering if it is necessary?"

Aranea paled. She had been prepared to when talking to Ignis. But now, when they were close and seeing Insomnia face to face. Could she really strike down a little boy, even as an act of mercy?

"You are hesitating," Ardyn said, surveying her shrewdly. "But, surely you have slain thousands of daemons by now. How many of them were children?"

She hadn't known until very recently that daemons were corrupted humans. But then, she had known in Gralea. She had had no qualms about striking down daemons in that elevator shaft. They had been "human" in those tubes, but she had killed them when they had turned. Would she have to do the same thing to Lux? Could she if she had to?

"For your own safety, Aranea, I am warning you: if you attempt to save Lux when he is too far gone, he will destroy you. You can't afford to be sentimental. If he turns on you, you have to destroy him before he destroys you. I am not saying you have to make it hurt—I am just saying if you have to do it, do it quickly without hesitation."

Aranea stared back at him, soul-sick. She found herself looking desperately for Ignis. He would know what to do, what to say. He was already at sea in the lead boat. She was on her own. She straightened her shoulders. She didn't need Ignis to protect her. She could do it her goddamned self. "I am a warrior. I will do what I have to," she said boldly to cover her uncertainty, her sudden vulnerability.

Ardyn studied her intently, seeing through her façade all too easily. However, he didn't press it. "See that you do," was all he said, then he took her hand and guided her into the boat with the finesse of a courtier. She was so dazed it didn't even occur to her to not allow it.

Ravus looked from one to the other. "What the hell did you say to her," he demanded with the protectiveness of an older brother.

"Just testing her resolve. She passes," Ardyn replied coolly.

Aranea stayed silent.


	27. Chapter 27: Into the Stew Pot

**Hurray for a fixed computer! I didn't realize how "broken" my computer was (even when I thought it was ok) and how much it was cramping my writing style :) I've been able to binge write quite a bit since I have a working computer again, so I can keep the momentum going. On that topic, here we go. Thanks as always! Follows, faves, feedback, reviews always appreciated.**

* * *

"I wonder if the fish are biting," Noctis mused from his position in the first boat, leading the way to the Insomnia fire dome.

"Don't even think about it," Gladio snarked back.

"I'm just wondering," he said defensively.

"I'm guessing the fish are hiding deep under the water to avoid the heat," Ignis ventured.

"Hmph. I wish we could put Ardyn there," Gladio replied. "It's no less than he deserves for doing the same thing last time."

"He put the Old Wall around the Citadel only. This is a flame barrier around the entire city," Noctis contradicted.

"Hmph, so that is supposed to make it all better," Gladio snarked back.

He was ignored.

Ignis looked back at the rear boat. Aranea, Ardyn, and Ravus were sitting in what appeared to be stone silence. He supposed he should be relieved. A silent Ardyn meant an Ardyn who couldn't taunt or inflict verbal poison at people. And he didn't want Aranea to have to face that. For once in his life, he wished he was sitting with her rather than with Noct. He nipped that thought in the bud. He would always be there for Noct. He just, wished he could be with Aranea too.

Cor was staring intently at the fire dome, getting closer and closer. "There appears to a layer of steam where the dome meets the water" he observed. "That's better than the flames."

"The steam will cook us alive," Ignis replied in concern. "And we do not know what is beyond it."

"If you want to let Ifrit win, we can turn around right now," Cor commented, bringing them back to the point.

"You guys don't have to do this," Noctis replied. "I can return you to shore and—"

"Been down that road. Not happening," Gladio replied.

"We might stand a better chance if we soak ourselves beforehand," Ignis replied coolly. "If we cover our heads with wet clothing, we may be able to stave off any 'steaming' for a few moments."

"You want us to go shirtless," Noctis replied dryly. "Never thought I'd hear you say that," he added with a smirk.

"Yeah," Gladio replied in amusement. "Is this because Aranea is back there," he added insinuatingly.

"Of course not," Ignis replied, studiously ignoring the fact that he felt hot under the collar at the suggestion. "If we go shirtless our torsos would boil instead of our faces. We soak our jackets and cover our faces with that."

"I'll try it," Cor said, and did a backwards dive into the water, just to emerge a minute later, soaking wet. Gladio heaved him back in.

"Are you daft," Ignis replied in shock. "The water could have been boiling! I meant, we dip our jackets in and let them cool before putting them on."

"Eh, this was faster. And the water is fine," Cor replied with a brusque wave.

"Now we trade," Gladio said, jumping into the water himself and having Cor retrieve him.

"Might as well have some fun," Noctis replied offhandedly, then followed suit, leaving Ignis to pull him in from his side of the boat."

Ignis sighed, removing his jacket and submerging it a moment, doing it the prudent way and ignoring Gladio's mocking snicker.

* * *

"What are they doing," Ravus asked from the rear boat.

"They are getting wet," Aranea replied.

"I know that, but I will reiterate my question," Ravus snarked back.

Ardyn was staring ahead. "Either they dared each other to jump into the bay, or they have some kind of plan," he replied dryly. "I for one think we should let them go on ahead and see what they are planning."

"So then you can watch Noctis die and take over as king," Ravus replied coldly.

Ardyn rolled his eyes. "Now don't be putting ideas in my head, Ravus Nox Fleuret," Ardyn taunted. "And besides," he added when he saw Ravus lunge his way, threatening to dislodge the boat in the process: "I can't exactly claim the throne either with Insomnia under that fire dome."

"Since they aren't communicating with us, I think we have no choice but to watch them first," Aranea commented.

"You are agreeing with me, Commodore? Will wonders never cease," Ardyn taunted.

Aranea's derisive snort was his only answer.

Ravus saw the steam ahead, and Aranea saw Ignis dip his jacket in. "Getting wet will keep us cool longer," she stated, getting the idea.

Ardyn looked from the steam horizon back to Aranea, sizing her up in a way she didn't like. "I don't know how well your leather armor will fare in the heat," he stated. "And Ravus, your armor will surely melt. What is that, plastic?"

Ravus sniffed. "It happens to be a vinyl/metal alloy," he sneered.

Ardyn smirked. "I stand corrected," he added with the slightest edge of sarcasm. "Material aside though, you will still roast to death in that attire."

Aranea stared at him in dawning suspicion. "If you are insinuating that we should take our clothes off, I hope you have your life insurance paid up," she replied, a deadly threat in her voice.

Ardyn waved his hands in an effort to make peace. "Perish the thought! There are certain things better left to the imagination. I was merely saying that we cannot proceed the same way as your devoted swain up there. It is lucky for you that I have two cloaks on. I believe if we soak them like dear Iggy did, lay flat in the boat side by side, and make a 'tent' of sorts out of the wet cloaks, we can sail through."

"That idea does have merit," Ravus agreed grudgingly. "We will be sailing blind though if we are all lying flat."

"A leap of faith," Ardyn said smoothly. "And if the Six are truly on our side then we will make it," he added brightly.

Aranea glanced at him. "I thought you hate the Six," she replied.

Ardyn smirked coldly. "There goes my attempt to rally the troops. You really know me so well, don't you, Aranea?"

"Let's get this over with," she replied, laying down in the middle of the boat. In retrospect, she should have taken one of the sides. Then she could have been between the side of the boat and Ravus. Now she would be stuck between Ravus and Ardyn. Oh well—she had been in close quarters with guys before in combat situations. This was no different. And if Ardyn tried anything, he'd be missing a hand afterwards.

* * *

"Here we go," Cor said as the steam began to drift around them. The heat was incredible—like keeping your arm over a boiling pot. The wouldn't last long in this steam. They had to hope getting through the barrier was quick.

"Cover your heads now," Ignis said sharply, then they ducked their heads and sailed through the steam.

It was uncanny—like being trapped in a silent fog. The only sound was the sputtering of their motor powering them through. They couldn't even tell in what direction they were going—were they still going straight on or were they just nudging the barrier, not getting through?

Noctis couldn't take anymore and had to take a look. He gingerly lifted his sodden tepid mask. The harbor of Insomnia was dead ahead. They had made it through the barrier.

"I think we can take our masks off now," Noctis commented.

The others followed suit and craned their necks to see Insomnia for the first time since their deaths.

The buildings were still standing, but there was an ominous red glow from above—the flames could drop down at any moment. It was hot, but it was a dry heat and seemed "livable" for awhile anyway. It was obvious that if Ifrit had his way for much longer, that wouldn't be the case though. Ignis glanced back to the steam wall they had traversed through. He couldn't' see Aranea's boat, and that worried him. There was no way they could go back and mount a rescue though. They had to move forward.

"Let's give them a few more minutes," Noctis stated worriedly.

Those minutes would be some of the most tormented of Ignis's "lives".

* * *

"Sorry I'm not Ignis, but I will have to do for now," Ardyn said insinuatingly to Aranea as he stuffed in next to her on the floor of the boat, far too close beside her.

"You leave Ignis out of this," she snapped.

"Still protecting him, are you," Ardyn taunted. "He doesn't need your protection you know. He never did, even when his vision was, 'impaired.'"

"Shut up," she snapped.

She did her best to ignore Ardyn's hateful chuckle beside her.

"Just remember, close quarters is normal for you," Aranea told herself as she lay wedged between Ravus and Ardyn in the boat. Ardyn draped one wet cloak over the group from his side, and Ravus did the same with the other one. One advantage of being in the middle was that she got the overlap which gave her two layers of cloth protection.

That was about the only advantage though. Being next to Ravus was no problem—it felt no different from being hunkered down in a foxhole next to a comrade. Ardyn on the other hand…feeling Ardyn next to her made her skin crawl, like there was a nest of snakes wriggling next to her.

Rationally, she knew it wasn't deliberate on his part—the boat was barely wide enough for the three of them to lay side by side. And Ardyn wasn't being inappropriate. He was laying still, wedged in as they all were. Still, at the oily, slimy, crawling she felt with him beside her, she made an involuntary gag, that Ardyn of course heard and felt.

"Now is not the time to become seasick, Commodore," he sternly reminded her.

"I know," she snipped back.

Ravus was grim. "It definitely feels hot. I think we are probably in the steam now," he ventured.

"If your 'vinyl/metal armor' melts, there is nothing we can do for you," Ardyn oozed patronizingly.

"You already killed me once. I won't allow it again," Ravus replied coldly.

"Wait! _He_ killed you," Aranea demanded in shock.

"Yes," Ravus replied clinically. "He shapeshifted as Noctis and took me unawares. When I attempted to present him with his father's glaive, he fatally stabbed me."

So that was what had happened to Ravus, Aranea thought. The Empire _had_ been covering stuff up. The knowledge that she had been right to some degree about that didn't dull the anger though. "You son of a bitch," she turned on Ardyn. "Is there anybody you won't hurt?"

"Nothing personal, dear boy," Ardyn replied smoothly to Ravus. "It was merely a means to an end. And for that goal, I will 'hurt anyone' if it suits me, Dear Aranea."

And Aranea was trapped in a boat in a heated nightmare, pressed against this monster. A man who had just admitted he would destroy anything if it suited his purpose. And he could shapeshift as well? What was up with that? She decided to ask him.

"Now, now, you don't want me to reveal my trade secrets, do you," he taunted with the confidence of a man who held all the cards.

"You will tell me or I will…" she started.

"Oh, by all means, torture and interrogate me," Ardyn replied brightly. "However, you may burn yourself in the process, not to mention wasting precious time you could be spending saving _our_ son."

That was a low blow, Aranea thought in disgust. But what was worse was that he was right. There was no time to get to the bottom of it right now. And having her hands metaphorically tied pissed her off. Even if she couldn't stab him like she wanted to, a punch in the gut would suffice. She tensed, ready to do just that. Ravus, pressed up on her other side, could feel it, and being a warrior himself, knew what that meant. He grabbed her arm firmly but gently to stop her.

"Any sudden movements will capsize the boat," Ravus replied coolly. "And Ardyn," he hissed. "If you don't shut up right now, I will toss you out of this damned boat, and Aranea will help me."

"Oh and I so graciously lent you my cloaks too. The young are so ungrateful," Ardyn whined mournfully, but was mercifully silent after.

The trio jerked as they felt a thud, as though they had hit something. Ravus sharply removed the cloak and surveyed their surroundings. They had reached the dock. "It appears we have made it," he commented calmly.

Aranea lurched up, eager to escape her confinement with Ardyn. He rose more languidly, but surveyed their surroundings in clinical interest.

Ravus was beginning to tie the boat off, but Ignis was beating him to it, already pulling on the rope on the boat's side and tying it with brisk efficiency to the stanchion.

"You guys aren't burnt are you," Gladio asked them.

Aranea glanced to Ravus. He appeared fine. She knew she was. She couldn't care less about Ardyn, but in the nature of assessing the welfare of her cadets, she glanced at him as well. He was already fluffing out his cloaks and putting them back on. He seemed fine, so she ignored him.

Ignis was scanning her intently up and down, looking for injuries and burns. "Are you all right," he asked her sharply.

She ignored Ardyn's knowing chuckle.

"I am fine. And, you," she asked.

"As Noct always says, 'getting by,'" Ignis responded dryly.

"Sorry I couldn't convey the plan to you guys," Noctis replied regretfully. "It was put together at the last minute, there was no time, and," he glanced apologetically to Ignis, "we weren't sure if it would work."

"As you can surmise, we drew the same conclusion," Ardyn oozed. "Isn't it fortunate that we chose to travel together," he taunted, rubbing salt in the wound.

He didn't get a reply, and didn't expect one. The reunited party left the quay and made their way to the city proper, or what was left of it.

* * *

The pain was excruciating. In all of Lux's recurring nightmares about being alone, confined in a tube, it had been nothing like this. He was trapped in a heat bubble—nothing else being burnt around him, not his clothes, not his skin. It was as though his mind were telling his body he was on fire, and making him feel every inch of that pain, with no escape.

It would almost have been better if his flesh and clothes were on fire themselves—that would mean he would have a tangible end to his torment. As it was, there was none. Through the red haze of pain, he heard Ifrit's hateful voice.

"Give up, kid. Let the daemons come out to play."

"I'm—not—a—daemon," Lux replied with clenched teeth.

Ifrit gave him a backhand that knocked him aside. It didn't relieve the burning though.

"Oh, that's right," Ifrit taunted, grabbing him again and picking him up by his collar. "You still think you are Noctis's son, don't you? Do you really think a sniveling brat like you is at all related to the Chosen King? Don't make me laugh. Oh no. Perhaps it is more kindness than you deserve knowing the truth, but you are actually the son of Ardyn Izunia. The plague of Eos—incarnation of the Starscourge."

"You, are lying," Lux replied brokenly through his haze of pain.

"You felt that bond with him, you know. You remember—the guy on the chocobo in that painting you admired so much," Ifrit added tauntingly.

That, was Ardyn," Lux wondered, but stayed silent.

"Face it kid, you are a mix the embodiment of darkness, plus a myriad host of daemons. You are not a king. You are a devil and will destroy the world by the time I am done with you."

Lux wanted to deny it, but he felt the truth, somewhere deep within. He had known, somehow, that Noctis was not his father. And he had felt the darkness, dormant within, fighting to escape. It had happened once, when he had first communicated with the crystal. He had resolved that it would never happen again. But he could feel that resolve burning away from the heat of Ifrit's torture.

What was once red and fiery was fading to black, absorbed by the darkness. He was no longer in the throne room of the Citadel, but in a pitch black pit. With oily, black hands seeking to yank him down. He feared this darkness—like a drowning swimmer caught in a rip current he attempted to break free of the pull. Yet it was insidious—it taunted him with a relief from the agony. At the sudden, tantalizing release from pain, Lux gave up the fight, surrendering to the darkness, and sinking into oblivion.

* * *

Ifrit stared down at the boy who was flickering between human and daemon—and each time he took on a daemonic appearance it lasted longer and longer. The boy was losing the fight. It was only a matter of time now, and he would become full on daemon. And then the crystal would heed his call, and he would destroy everything. Except, the crystal was not turning black in unison with the kid. It was still giving off its silent light. That could only mean one thing—someone with the power of light was close. Ifrit's lips thinned in displeasure. It would appear Noctis was here.

His hands clenched in anger. It was because of Noctis that Shiva had to die—the woman he—he shook his head. That bitch had deserved it. She had chosen humans over him and deserved everything that had happened to her. And that son a bitch of a 'Chosen King' had turned her. He knew it. With Noctis's honeyed promises of saving the world and returning light, he had turned Shiva's head, made her turn her back on the gods. Ifrit would make Noctis pay in full for that.

Just as Noctis had taken his woman, Ifrit would take Noctis's. Luna, the girl who had the temerity to think she could talk to the gods. That she could make someone like him grant his blessing on a puny bastard like Noctis. She wanted the powers of the Gods? He would show them to her firsthand.

Even now he knew Noctis was coming for him. He didn't have much time. He would need to stall, to keep Noctis busy. To that end, Ifrit strode to the window, punched a hole through it, and manifested flaming seeds in his hand. "Take root, fire daemons. Burn Noctis to a crisp," he intoned. And with that, he opened his hand, dropping the "seeds" to the ground below. He watched in smug satisfaction as they took the form of fire bombs and red giants. With a fire army at his beck and call, Noctis would have his hands full.

And by the time Noctis got through those (if he did), he would find Ifrit had his hands full, of Luna's broken body.

* * *

 **And Ifrit ramps up the awfulness. What a bastard-it's perfectly ok to hate his guts ;-)**

 **I hope you don't think I am throwing Ardyn in too much-I have so much fun writing him and he is such a wildcard he can do "whatever" and still keep in character. I feel he has a lot more freedom to behave against the tropes, which makes him fun as hell to write. Long story short, he's still here, will probably get more to do, and sorry if he isn't your cup of tea ;-) Anyway, till next time!**


	28. Chapter 28: Kingdom of Flames

**Happy May everyone! I've been writing up a storm over here, so I figured I would do another post. Hope I'm not throwing too much at you. Thanks as always to my faithful readers! Hope you like where it goes from here, and if there are any new faces in the crowd, thanks to you too and welcome aboard the train!**

* * *

Noctis had a strange sense of déjà vu, striding down the abandoned main street of Insomnia. Just as when he had been here before, things were seemingly frozen in time—cars were parked down the middle of the street, as though people had fled in terror. Were these the same abandoned cars from ten years ago, or were they new?

Cor was looking around too, face tense. "So much for rebuilding," he said bitterly.

"How many inhabitants moved back in," Ignis asked him.

"We were granting permits for people to move back—we had to make sure the infrastructure could keep up with the demand. At last count, we were at about 5000, give or take," Cor replied.

"Where are they," Noctis asked in trepidation, suspecting the answer, but not wanting it confirmed.

Before anyone could speculate, they heard a rapid "wooshing", as though a torrent of flames was being carried over the wind in their direction. They turned to see the source of the sound, and stood, temporarily frozen in shock.

There was a legion of daemons marching their way, fire bombs flanked by red giants, their flaming swords drawn and ready to slay.

"How large a force," Gladio asked his mentor.

Cor's eyes narrowed. "It looks like over a hundred to me."

"That means about 14 for each of us," Ravus replied coolly. "That should be feasible." And with that, he lunged forward, ready to take out his set.

Gladio, not wanting to be outdone, ran forward as well to assist. Cor, not wanting to be outdone by his protégé, also swept forward.

"Wait," Ignis cautioned. "We need a plan before taking out an army—"

"Your prudence is admirable, but I fear it is misplaced," Ardyn replied condescendingly. "Let the boys prove their manliness by fighting," he added nastily.

"So you are just going to stand back like a coward," Aranea sniped.

"I don't see you running forward to prove your status as a 'hardened killer'," Ardyn returned tauntingly.

She sniffed. "I happen to agree with Ignis on this one. Do you have a plan," she asked him.

"They are all fire enemies, so should be weak to ice," Ignis replied. "I think heavy use of my Libra Elementia attack should weaken them enough to allow the rest of you to move in for the kill."

"Can you still, use that," Aranea asked uncertainly. "I understood that you developed that skill in response to your, injury."

"Even though I am not blind anymore I can still use it," Ignis replied coolly. "If anything, I should be even more accurate with it."

Noctis was staring at Ardyn calculatingly. "Can we trust you in this fight," he asked him bluntly.

Ardyn held out his hands defensively. "Oh, Noct. How many times must I tell you that I have no interest in betraying you at this point in time? If Iggy uses his 'elemental thing', I will be one of the first on the scene to take advantage of their weakness. I can take on my 14, if you can take on yours."

Noctis sighed. "Very well. I won't warn you about what happens if you turn on us, but you know the drill," he warned, then warped forward to help the forward fighters.

Ignis glanced to Aranea. "It takes a bit of time to mix the ice bottles. Can I ask you to cover me while I prepare," he asked her. "You know I don't like having a lady bloody her own hands but…"

"Just prep the damn bottles," Aranea cut him off, then stood in front of Ignis in a defensive posture while he performed the delicate business of mixing the magic vials.

Ardyn stood back and surveyed the couple with smug amusement. "I hope you have steady hands, Iggy," he taunted. "If you are off by even the slightest bit, you will freeze yourself and your beloved instead. And believe me, I speak from experience: being struck with an ice spell makes you feel death's chill wind."

"I have done this before. I will not freeze us," Ignis stated coolly.

"Hmm. Interesting that you did not contradict me when I said Aranea was your, 'beloved'," Ardyn muttered quietly to himself, then meandered over to offer the others what combat assistance he could.

* * *

"It seems more difficult than anticipated to take 14 down," Ravus commented dryly, still struggling on his first Red Giant.

"You should have gone for the bombs—you can take more of them down faster," Gladio replied, with a hefty swing that knocked four bombs into a guardrail.

"Hmph. I don't believe in taking the easy way out," Ravus replied.

"More likely you want bragging rights for taking down 14 giants while I settle on 14 bombs," Gladio snarked back.

"It takes more than one to take down a Giant," Cor replied, stepping up to help Ravus with his enemy. He gave Ravus a glare, daring him to object.

"Much obliged," Ravus said calmly, and the two engaged one of the Giants.

"Stand by everyone," Ignis called out. "I have just the thing," he added, boldly.

Gladio and Noctis both knew what that meant and jumped aside. It didn't take the others long to draw the same conclusion.

Ignis threw the ice bottle right into the middle of the flame attackers. "This decides it," Ignis thought with a flash of satisfaction as he saw the street turn to an ice rink, and a bank of frost radiating from the broken bottle to engulf the foes.

The frost cleared and, nothing? The flame army was still there, and looked even more angry.

"We must regroup," Ignis called out, drawing everyone back down the street to give them a "safe" distance from which they could rethink.

"I admit that was, unexpected," Ignis commented sheepishly from their temporary haven.

Aranea was glancing at the approaching army. They didn't have much time. "These, don't look like the versions of these daemons we've seen before," she stated.

Ardyn was looking too. "It would appear Ifrit has blessed them with Rubicant's armor," he commented.

"With what now," Noctis asked in confusion.

Ardyn sighed. "We have a battle to fight, but if you must know, there is a legend of a similar fire being from long ago, the aforementioned Rubicant. He knew his elemental weakness was ice, so he crafted a cloak that absorbed all ice magic. This made him impervious to both fire and ice."

"What happened to him," Cor asked.

"The heroes in that story had their work cut out for them," was all Ardyn said.

"So, there were multiple fire beings at some point," Aranea asked, instantly pointing to a plot hole in said "legend".

"Ifrit took on the form of Belenus," Ignis commented. "Maybe Rubicant was one of his alter egos too."

"Can we discuss literature later," Cor snipped. "We need a plan here."

They turned as one to face the encroaching army. For a party of six world saviors and one world destroyer, they were, for the moment anyway, admittedly stumped.

* * *

Prompto saw the large shadow above the pickup truck first.

"Um, Holly. I think we have a problem."

Holly glanced through the windshield, froze, and slammed on the brakes. She knew what she was seeing—the, thing that had done its level best to burn Lestallum to the ground. Ifrit was standing before them, blocking the road forward.

He squinted down at the vehicle, the size of a toy compared to him. There were too many insects in the truck. How could he tell them apart, staring down at them from 30 feet above? He wouldn't be able to pick out his target from this vantage point. He needed more precision. To that end, and hating the necessity, he reverted to his human form.

Iris watched the proceedings in horror, face chalk white. Belenus's gaze pierced the windshield, noting Luna and Iris sitting next to each other. Iris recognized that feral grin, and rose her pistol, set to shoot through the windshield at his smug face.

Holly had a different idea. "Brace yourselves," she muttered with clenched teeth, then stomped hard on the accelerator. They had one second to register Belenus's look of surprise before they heard the sickening thud as they plowed into him. Holly didn't stop. Speed was what they needed. If they were fast enough, they could yet elude him.

It was useless. They felt the flash of heat then saw the shadow of his giant form in the rearview mirror. He had evidently reverted back to his God form to give himself size and speed with which to catch up to them. One second Holly was speeding them to safety—the next second the speeding tires were spinning uselessly in the air. Ifrit had picked up the truck and was dangling it between his fingers like it was a piece of garbage.

Prompto and Talcott were clinging to the sides of the truck for dear life—the only thing stopping them from falling out of the car and plummeting to their deaths.

His point made, Ifrit set the vehicle back on the ground, upside down, imprisoning his opponents beneath it. Being seatbelted in was now a liability. Luna could feel the blood rushing to her head, and knew if this lasted much longer, they would all pass out, or worse. She had no way of knowing how Prompto and Talcott were faring. The truckbed was now too dark to see through the glass window behind her.

Iris evidently had the same concern. She was frantically unbuckling her seatbelt. She got it loose and grunted as she landed on her shoulders, then began to wiggle frantically like an upside-down turtle to get herself upright.

"Are you guys ok," she heard Prompto's muffled voice call through the wall behind them.

"One minute," Iris replied, harried. She had to get the others loose as well. Holly's face already looked alarmingly red.

All movement stopped when they saw the handsome, devilish face peering at them through the passenger window. He was back as Belenus, just so he could be at their level to watch them struggle.

Belenus surveyed Iris already making moves to escape the cab. "I should have known you'd already be trying to run away, Iris," he hissed.

"We'd be dead if you wanted us dead. I assume you had a reason for doing this," Luna cut in, coldly.

Belenus sneered. "Perhaps I just want to watch you all die of too much blood to the brain, or from exposure. It is no more than you deserve."

"And meanwhile Noctis is wrestling his kingdom from you," Luna countered. "I expected better from one of the Six."

"Oh, he will get his just deserts. Once he sees you," Belenus added darkly, then reached in to yank her out with enough force to snap the seatbelt.

Luna gasped at the bruising pain, but then reverted to icy calm. "That is your game then? To flaunt me before Noctis as a damsel in distress," Luna countered derisively. At the same time, she gave a meaningful look to Iris. It took Iris one second to realize what she wanted her to do.

While Belenus was fixed on Luna, Iris hurriedly turned to unfasten Holly. The seatbelt gave way, and Holly landed on the ceiling of the cab with a resounding thud. Iris quickly turned to Belenus to see if he noticed. He was still fixated on Luna, who was continuing to stare at him defiantly.

Luna was every inch a queen, Iris realized. Even as fragile as she looked with her white dress, blonde hair, and pale translucent skin, she had a commanding presence that would make anyone think twice about messing with her. She stood before Belenus (the being that scared the crap out of Iris), utterly defenseless, but with a regal hauteur that was daring Belenus to do his worst. And somehow Iris thought after all that, Luna would land on her feet.

More importantly, it was giving the others a moment of opportunity. Holly was frantically unrolling her window (hard to do upside-down), but she managed it. And with a last glance at Belenus, she crawled out the window, then hunkered down in the roadside brush to hide.

Belenus had had enough of Luna. "You think you are so clever, Conduit to the Gods," Belenus taunted in mounting fury. "Let's see if you are still that way by the time I am done with you."

And with that, he tossed her brutally aside so she hit the street with a jarring thud. Before she could rise to her feet, he snapped his fingers, and pillars of flame rose up around her on all sides, effectively imprisoning her.

Iris looked on in horror, but knew she had to see to Prompto and Talcott. They were peering through the rear window of the cab, watching the horror too. If she could somehow break the back window, it would give them a way out.

She reached out to do just that, just to stiffen as her gaze met Belenus's.

"Unless you want the rest of your party to die right here and now, you are coming with me," he stated viciously.

"Don't do it! We'll manage," she heard Talcott's muffled voice through the glass.

"Yeah! There's no way we'll let Ifrit mess with you. Don't do it," Prompto encouraged desperately.

There was no way she could get them out now. Ifrit would kill them all if she tried. Was Luna dead, burnt to death in those flames? Iris knew she couldn't save herself. She would not let the others go down with her though.

"I will go with you, no resistance, if you release them," Iris stated desperately.

"Fine, then crawl out to me," Belenus ordered.

It was degrading, having to literally crawl before him. He did not help her, but just watched with smug amusement as she wriggled her way out of the car. He looked like he was enjoying it way too much. It made Iris feel sick to her stomach. She fingered her gun. Should she try blowing his head off as soon as she got close enough to him? No. That would disrupt the status quo too much, and he would kill them all in retaliation.

She hid the pistol under her clothes. She would save it for later. And she knew she would need it very soon. She rose stiffly to her feet once clear of the car and stood before him, doing her best to keep from trembling in fear. So much for her heroics, she thought bitterly. Just standing before him, his gaze raking her from top to bottom, was enough to fill her with icy fear.

He gave her a smug smile, stepped forward, then gave the truck a vicious shove. Iris watched in horror as it flipped over a couple of times, bringing Prompto and Talcott tumbling along the road with it. The sound of thudding bodies was enough to make bile rise into Iris's mouth.

"You said…," she said brokenly.

"I released them. Just like I promised," Ifrit mocked, only to break off in surprise as he heard the sound of a shot, then felt a bullet pierce his head. Iris stared back from behind the smoking pistol, watching the blood pour down his pale face. His human form was perfect, Iris thought detachedly. He could even bleed like a human in this form. Gods could really walk among them without them ever knowing.

"You bitch," he roared, then wrenched the gun out of her hand and tossed it aside. Then he grabbed her by the throat. Her hands clutched his instinctively, but she knew it was futile. She was going to die, but she'd rather it be like this. It was better to be killed in a fit of rage rather than giving his anger time to cool, for him to come up with something even worse.

She felt the blackness swirl around her as her consciousness, her life, receded. She didn't fight, and let death take her.

Belenus stared down at the unconscious girl in smug satisfaction. The hunter had claimed his prey at long last. And Noctis's woman. His revenge would soon be complete, but he'd have time for some fun first. He reverted to his God form, grabbed Iris with one hand, reached through the flames to grab Luna with the other, then strode down the road back to Insomnia.

* * *

"I can't believe we are hiding from an army," Ravus commented snootily.

"I'm open to suggestions," Noctis said. "I don't like hiding in this back alley either."

That was one advantage of being fast. They were able to get some corners between them and the army so that it lost track of them. Now Noctis and his allies were huddled in a back alley while they came up with a plan. Had it really come to this? The legendary heroes (and villain) cowering in an alley hiding from the flame army?

"We've got to come up with something quick though," Cor said. "We can't hide from them forever. "Magic doesn't work. Swords aren't working. What else we got?"

"They seem hive minded," Aranea volunteered. "The move as one, and seem to react as one when we attack them."

"I never knew daemons were so well disciplined of a force," Cor commented.

"Water melts ice, and turns flames to steam," Ardyn suggested. "A pity we don't have any water here is it not?"

"It's a pity I don't have a million gil either," Gladio snarked. "Stop suggesting stuff that we don't have and come up with something constructive."

"The sewers," Cor spoke up. "There's plenty of water down there, assuming this heat didn't evaporate it."

"Water. So that's what you call it? How nice," Ardyn replied condescendingly, not looking forward to a sojourn in the sewers.

"You brought it up," Gladio replied gleefully.

"I said water, not biological waste," Ardyn sniped back.

"I'm not too keen on it either," Ignis replied. "However, it's all we've got. We need to lead them to the sewers. Make them come to us."

"That means they have to see us go into the sewers," Aranea said warily. "We need decoys."

Noctis sighed. "Ardyn and I can warp. We're the fastest. We'll be the decoys. You guys get into the sewers. The one in the street over there should do," he said, pointing towards the street they had just come from.

Gladio opened his mouth to argue about Noctis teaming up with Ardyn on his own, then let it drop. "Fine. Let's go," he said, then edged towards the end of the alley.

"It's clear," he said. "Let's go." The others followed suit, leaving Noctis and Ardyn to hunt for the army.

* * *

"Remember," Noctis ordered his "comrade", "we are not to engage them. We just need them to see us, and let them see us make our way back here," he added, pointing to the manhole their allies had just gone into.

"See and be seen. I think I can handle that, dear boy," Ardyn replied affably.

Noctis clenched his fist. He didn't want to be here, on the Insomnian streets with Ardyn. It reminded him too much of their last battle. The battle he thought he'd won, but seeing as Ardyn was here beside him, it seemed that he had wasted his time.

They saw the brighter reflection of the fire against the skyscraper at a cross street a few blocks away.

"I'm guessing that's them," Noctis said. "You ready for this," he asked.

"Of course! I must say I am flattered—you agreeing to finally trust me and all," Ardyn replied.

"You and I have the same powers. It makes sense," Noctis replied repressively.

"The same powers? I must say I wear them better," Ardyn snarked, then swept forward to give the army something to look at. It worked like a charm. The army started making a beeline towards him. Noctis ran up to give him some backup in case he needed a quick escape.

It was unlike any battle they had faced before. They couldn't fight, they couldn't run. They had to retreat slowly, letting every foe see them, bracing themselves in case the army decided to lunge. There was no way of knowing they had them all by the time they got to the manhole where their allies were waiting.

"Is that all of them," Noctis asked Ardyn, staring down the straightaway.

"Only one way to be sure," Ardyn replied, then warped forward to attack the army.

Noctis stared at him in shock. What about not engaging them did he not understand? What the hell was he doing? His attacks with his sword were totally useless. They were no better than bitch slaps. Was Ardyn still immortal, then? Why else would he do something this reckless and stupid?

Noctis took a breath to ask him "WTF", and braced to save the idiot from himself, but then he saw the army rear back in anger as one, and begin charging towards Ardyn.

Now Noctis understood. Ardyn was playing off of their hive mind. He was banking on the entire army converging if one of their kind was under attack. It was a double-edged sword though—it put Ardyn into harm's way. Ardyn kept warping back to keep a safe distance, but that wouldn't last forever. They needed to know when they had everyone.

Noctis warped to a streetlight to get a raised viewpoint, then stared down the street. He saw another herd of about ten more turn the corner, pissed off, and ready to kill. "Stragglers," he called out. Ardyn was continuing to retreat/warp. After a (long) few more minutes of this, Noctis wasn't seeing any more stragglers in any direction. "We've got 'em, I think" he said. "Let's go!"

That was all Ardyn needed to hear. He warped to the manhole, beating Noctis there, and was halfway down the ladder by the time Noctis arrived. It was up to Noctis to do the last check to make sure the army was still following, then made his way into the manhole. To his relief, he could hear sloshing of water, meaning that they had something to work with. He almost laughed at the absurdity—who else would be happy to find actual "wet stuff" in a sewer?

"They're coming," was all he said to his brethren.

"Hmph. Let's hope they come down that ladder single file like we did," Gladio replied brusquely, but glanced at Noctis to make sure he was ok.

How they would reach the sewers was a moot point. A second later they heard a crash as a giant sword hit the street, causing it to cave in. The army of 100+ flame monsters swept down into the confined watery space, facing off against seven humans. The odds still weren't in their favor, but this would have to do.

* * *

 **And I continue with the old Final Fantasy call backs. I had a Final Fantasy VI one a few chapters back, and now have a Final Fantasy IV one (the first Final Fantasy I ever played). If you caught them, kudos to you! Sorry in advance for Belenus/Ifrit-he has jumped off the deep end, and is becoming super duper awful. As always, I'm keeping my stories T rated, but Belenus may push the envelope a bit moving forward. I think you all can handle it, but fair warning. Anyway! Thanks a bunch and till next time (probably later this week).**


	29. Chapter 29: Wrath of the Gods

**Happy Star Wars Day and Cinco de Mayo to all! I've got more done, so I figured I'd put out another installment this week. Hope you don't mind! Anyways, here we go, and thanks for reading as always.**

* * *

"How the hell are we supposed to use the water in here," Gladio demanded to his comrades. His hands were clenched around his giant sword, ready to match the slowly but deliberately approaching foes blow for blow, but for once he was in agreement that they needed a plan. Being trapped in the sewers with a flame army was not his preferred way of fighting.

"I trust the expectation is not that that we fling the refuse at them like some sort of primate," Ardyn said condescendingly.

"All we need is for the ice armor to melt off of them, right," Aranea said. "If we can do that, their defense will be down and Ignis can use his ice attack again."

"Sounds to me like we just need to knock them to the ground, into the water," Cor said.

"Hmph. Ever tried that with a giant," Gladio snarked.

"We do the bombs first then," Ignis said. With them out of the way, we can focus on the giants."

"You are forgetting about the hive mind," Ardyn said. "We attack the bombs, the giants will attack us."

"Well, this is where your immortality comes in, Ardyn," Noctis replied coolly. "You keep the giants busy while we take down the bombs."

Ardyn wasn't a hardened schemer for nothing. He kept his face completely blank, not showing his discomfort with the idea for a moment. "Even were I to engage all of them at once in my 'immortal state', I can't keep the horde away from you. I can keep some away, but not all."

"Fine," Noctis said. "I take the group on the left, you the right, and the rest work on the bombs."

"I shall prepare more ice," Ignis said. "Aranea, if you would be so kind…"

"I'm on it," she said, getting close to defend him again.

With their plan ironed out, or at least as good of a plan as they could make, Cor, Gladio, and Ravus began smashing the bombs, knocking them into the sewage water.

"Their ice armor is breaking," Ravus said, heartened.

"Let's get all that armor off," Cor said, continuing the fight.

The giants definitely weren't liking it. They kept surging forward, only to be blocked by Noctis and Ardyn.

"Getting the big sword out, I see," Ardyn commented to Noctis condescendingly as he saw him manifest the Gladio-type weapon.

"You chose the same thing," Noctis pointed out, glancing at the two-handed sword Ardyn had chosen to manifest as well.

"So I did. Perhaps I should switch to a dagger to change it up," he teased.

"You do that, and we're all dead," Noctis snapped back.

Ardyn chuckled. "How do you know that isn't my plan," he asked, insinuatingly.

Noctis gave him a shocked double-take. If he had to deal with Ardyn now amid all of this—his temporary distraction was problematic. He almost missed the deadly swipe the closest giant was making at him. Even his speed wasn't fast enough to dodge it—the force of the blow would slice him in half. He swiped his sword, desperately, knowing it would be useless, only to see a shower of sparks. Ardyn had stepped in at the last minute and had deflected the giant's blow.

"Part of being king is deciding which is the greater threat, and acting on it," Ardyn said coolly, warping his way back to his side of the tunnel to take care of any giants that had made their way too far forward.

Aranea didn't like this. For all that she was focused on the bombs and on keeping Ignis safe, she could see that a narrow tunnel and big swords didn't mix. They had way too many going on here—not just Gladio, Cor, Ardyn, and Noctis, but the giants themselves. And each blow was bringing more and more bricks down. She had already been trapped in a cave-in. She didn't want another.

"You've got to hurry, Ignis," she said desperately. "If we don't finish them now, we will get buried down here."

"I know that," Ignis replied, just as tense. "Unfortunately, making these ice vials is one thing I can't rush on."

"How many are you trying to make, a thousand," she demanded, impatiently.

"There," Ignis replied, brandishing his daggers that now radiated frost.

"What the hell is that," Aranea demanded.

"I've overclocked my daggers to make them ice daggers," he commented calmly, then strode over and backstabbed one of the dearmored bombs. It was as he thought. The ice armor was what was absorbing the ice. With it gone, the fire monsters had no resistance against it. The bomb froze like a popsicle, splatted into the puddle of refuse, then shattered.

"Impressive," Cor commented.

"It took you long enough to remember you could use that," Ravus sniped.

"I needed my vision back to be able to use it properly," was all Ignis said. Then, with an ice dagger in each hand, he effortlessly stabbed two more bombs at the same time, destroying them.

Aranea couldn't help but notice the fluid grace of Ignis's movements, even taking note of how the intensity of battle was ruffling his hair, shaking him out of his perfectly-groomed state. And she had to admit, he looked damned good rumpled and disheveled. "Hmph. Showboating," she muttered to herself, studiously ignoring the heat rising within her as she watched him. Ignis picked that moment to glance her way. Surely he couldn't tell what she was thinking, she thought desperately. She had the sinking feeling he could though—she could sense the intensity of his gaze even through the weak light of the tunnel. It was making her lose her focus, which she couldn't afford.

And neither could he, based on the bombs that were beginning to encroach. "Behind you," she said sharply, returning him to the battle. It seemed that between him, Cor, Ravus, and Gladio though, they had it well in hand. They were evidently doing fine without her, so she should go help Noctis with the giants. Ardyn could fend for his goddamned self.

With the bombs dispatched, they were down to the giants.

"How the hell are we supposed to get them into the water," Noctis asked.

"You mean the crap," Gladio said baldly. "Big swords, hit 'em in the legs," he suggested.

"We need to be careful with that," Aranea said. "Look at the walls."

The bricks were indeed falling out ominously. It was a miracle none of them had been knocked in the head with one in fact.

"We don't have a choice," Cor said. "We don't have anything else in our arsenal that will bring them to their knees. We knock 'em down, and finish 'em quick."

With the rest of the party in agreement, Aranea had to follow suit. The "big sword" team knocked them to their knees in the water, breaking the armor on their legs. At that point, Ignis used his ice daggers to weaken them. From there, everyone else could take them down.

As efficient as they were, the force of the swords and the reverberation of falling giant bodies was too much for their stretch of tunnel. With a blood-curdling sound, the entire ceiling gave way right above Aranea. "Not again," was her only thought. Being in imminent danger, with her senses on high alert, it was almost as though everything else was slowed down. She could hear Ignis yelling her name, and could see him running her way in an attempt to save her.

"Me over Noctis for a change. How nice," was what registered in her scattered thoughts, even though she knew it was a meaningless gesture. It was too late. She rose her hands above her head desperately in a futile attempt to keep the falling debris away.

She barely felt the pressure on her waist and the rush of air as Noctis warped her to safety, just as the pile of rubble came crashing down, separating them from everyone else. As soon as she was released, she dropped to her knees, temporarily winded from what had just nearly happened.

"Aranea! Are you all right," she heard Ignis's sharp voice through the rubble.

"Yes! Noctis is here too. Are you guys ok?"

"Um. Actually I'm on this side," Noctis replied from Ignis's side of the rubble.

Aranea stiffened. It had not been Noctis who had warped her to safety. And they only had one other "warper" on their team. Ardyn. He had saved her? She turned around sharply, but found no sign of him. He was loose and on his own? Shit!

"Stay there! We will find a way to get to you," Ignis said bracingly.

"I have a way out," she said. "You guys take care of yourselves. I will meet up with you guys later."

Then she was sprinting down the tunnel hoping she would catch up to Ardyn before he did something that would destroy them all.

* * *

Ifrit's hand was hot, was all Luna could think about. Being clutched in it with it wrapped all the way around her, of course it would be though. She glanced to his other hand, currently clenched around Iris. She was still unconscious, which was alarming. If Luna could get to her, she could see if she was all right, and render what first aid she could. For the moment, she was stuck though.

They were still in the desert. They hadn't been that far from Insomnia. Was Ifrit taking them the long way around for some reason? Why would he want to prolong this? She didn't want to dwell on the possibilities.

"I can see why I would be of value to you, Infernian. However, it makes no sense for you to bring Iris too. Release her, and just take me," she said, as regally as she could.

Ifrit laughed. "Iris is quite, valuable to me as well. There is a reckoning due between us. Besides, it takes more than one woman to fill a harem."

Luna bit her lip in disgust. "So that is the road you are taking? Not only are you going to use me as a damsel in distress for Noctis, you are going to have your way with us too? I thought you were a God, not a monster."

Ifrit's hand clenched around her, temporarily knocking the wind out of her.

"You made me the monster," he exclaimed. "You took my woman away from me! Cut her down like she was some kind of frail human."

"You did that, not us," Luna said, still breathless from the squeeze. "Shiva was our friend. We liked her just as you loved her!"

"Do not speak to me of love! Love is a wasted human emotion that makes one weak. We gods do not feel love."

"Merely lust and hatred then," Luna snapped back.

"Shut your mouth!"

"I actually felt bad that Shiva was taken out of the cycle of rebirth," Luna continued. "However, now I'm glad. At least she is free of you!"

She felt the imprisoning hand release, dropping her. She felt a smug satisfaction. It didn't matter that she was falling a few stories to her imminent death. She had had the last word—and she would die before letting Ifrit touch her. But then, she was leaving Iris alone with him—before she could die with that regret, Ifrit bounced her with his knee, forcing her back into his hand.

"Oh no," Ifrit said, back in command of his raging emotions again. "I won't let you die and take the easy way out. Noctis needs to see you first. He needs to watch you die. Now shut up and endure your fate."

Even though the fall had not killed her, the impact of his knee had broken her ribs. She could feel the pain when she breathed. She couldn't antagonize him anymore. She had to focus on healing herself, and keeping herself alive so she could help Iris. She would not leave Iris alone with this fiend. And if she had to be the sacrifice, so be it. She was the Oracle. Communing with Six was her calling. If she had to be the plaything of one of them, she would do it. That was her calling after all.

Still, she couldn't help but close her eyes and mutter, "Archean, Hydrean, Draconian, Fulgarian, please, hear my plea. Help humanity in my stead."

* * *

Ramuh tucked the blanket over the baby one more time. Agneya had been fidgety lately—well babies always were, he thought affectionately, but this was different. She alternated between burning hot and freezing cold. Ramuh knew she was waxing and waning in response to her father's moods. As her father grew stronger and angrier, she lost more and more of her heat. She was still too young and frail to maintain the balance required of her.

He heard Luna's plea, but was utterly powerless. It was as he had told her. His responsibility was to the future of the world, which was Agneya. And she was too frail to be left alone. He would have to tend to her no matter what—even though he felt Luna's pain and fear and itched to do something about it. Ifrit had gone too far. He needed to be-no he couldn't even think about destroying Ifrit himself. A God didn't do that to one of his own. It just left destruction for everyone in its wake.

"You always were the most fatherly of us, even though Bahamut thinks he is," came a sultry voice from behind him.

It was rare that anyone could sneak up on him. He turned to see the pale, long-green-haired matron sauntering towards him. One would think she was human, albeit one with green hair, but he knew differently. If nothing else, her green/black metallic mermaid dress gave it away. The material resembled the scales she had in her true form.

"Leviathan," Ramuh said. "It's been awhile since I've seen you in your human form."

She laughed huskily. "I can't exactly be a water snake in a volcanic glacier now can I?"

"When did you get back," he asked her.

"Oh, very recently. It took too long to regenerate. I would have been back sooner if Noctis and his friends hadn't woken me up to attempt to restore their memories. They didn't get the hint that I wanted to be left alone. I knew I had to get back here and deal with Ifrit, but those fools had to bother me and slow down the process."

"What do you mean, 'deal with Ifrit'," Ramuh asked suspiciously.

"You know what I mean," she said. "You cling to your terror that we will destroy everything if we handle it ourselves. You give us too much credit. We are fallible. We created daemons and humans, each with their own flaws. We granted powers to beings who could not handle them. We love and hate like the beings we created. What arrogance it is to think that the fabric of the universe will be destroyed by disposing of one bad egg?"

"But, you know what will happen if Ifrit dies. The balance of heat and coldness…"

Leviathan glided over and stared down at the restlessly reposing baby. She smiled tenderly. "I never thought we could breed. It makes me wonder if me and Titan could…anyway. Agneya will keep the balance, if you continue to nurture her as you have been. You focus on her. I will focus on Ifrit."

"You promise you won't destroy the world," Ramuh asked her.

She smiled serenely. "If I could, then I'm more of a goddess than I thought. You stay here. I will stop this myself. Oh. If Titan drops by, don't tell him where I've gone. He'll try to save me from myself again, and I can't afford that this time."

Ramuh smiled. "Is he back too?"

"He was restlessly sleeping when I left the other world. That usually means he will wake soon. Remember, don't tell him."

"I'll see what I can do," Ramuh said.

Leviathan gently stroked the baby's head, then strode sinuously away.

* * *

"Where the hell is Ardyn," Noctis asked, voice hard.

That brought the rest of the group to reality with a snap. They knew Aranea was on the other side. Was Ardyn with her?

"Aranea, is Ardyn there with you," Ignis called through the rubble. There was no reply.

He called again. "You don't think she's…" he asked in alarm.

"She said she was going to find a way out," Gladio said bracingly. "She's a tough gal. She's fine. We need to get out of here ourselves."

"It would be nice if Ardyn was dead," Ravus said coolly. "It would really save us a lot of trouble."

"I doubt it's that simple," Noctis said. "And despite it all, he _has_ helped us."

"How nice that you can be so forgiving of the man who killed Luna, but I cannot be," Ravus replied.

"I didn't mean—" Noctis began.

"You think this rubble will hold us," Cor cut in. He could see light at the top, and the pile of rocks would make a good ramp if it wouldn't collapse under them.

"I'll try it," Noctis said, and began the climb. He was poised to warp to safety if there was even a hint of instability, but he was able to make it to the street no problem.

"Come up one at a time," he instructed.

It was decided that the heavier (more armored or muscular) guys would come up last. They had the most risk of collapsing the pile, so if they could at least get the lighter guys out, it would be an improvement. Ignis scrambled up, followed by Cor, then Ravus, then Gladio coming up last. The order ended up being moot—the pile held firm for all, and stayed just as it was even when the last one had reached the street.

Ignis hadn't realized how foul the air was down there until he reached street level. Even the stifling heat of the fire dome had fresher air than what they had faced down there. He imagined his clothes and body would hold that stench for the near future, and it wasn't a pleasant prospect. It didn't matter though. All that mattered was finding Aranea and tracking down Ardyn. Why in bloody hell couldn't she have stayed still so they could meet up with her? Didn't she know the number one rule in a situation like this: don't move. He knew she was capable, but even she had her limits, and a city being terrorized by a God was not a good place to test one's limits.

He glanced up, into one of the office buildings across the street, and stiffened. There were faces staring out. Now that he noticed, every window seemed to have people looking out the windows at them. Before he could digest that, a nearby door opened, and a man cautiously stepped out.

He stared at the group, settling on Noctis. The man's mouth opened in shock. "King Regis, I heard you were—" then he stopped, registering that it was not King Regis.

Noctis stepped forward and smiled ruefully. "I'm actually Noctis. Sorry to disappoint."

The man's eyes widened further. "Everyone! It's Noctis! The King has returned to us!"

More people in the building began to stream out. Some gawking, some bowing.

"He's come to free us," one elderly lady exclaimed. "Tell us, how did you get in? Can you get us out?"

Noctis and his comrades looked at each other. Now that there were trapped civilians in the mix, this changed the game completely.

"Noctis, you find Ifrit," Cor ordered. "We will get everyone out."

"What about Ardyn," Ravus demanded.

Noctis shrugged. "I think when I find Ifrit, I will find Ardyn too."

Ignis was looking almost guiltily from one to the other, only to shake it off. "I am going to look for Aranea," he stated, almost daring them to object. "If I find any civilians on the way, I will have them converge here for evacuation. When I find her, we will assist with the evacuation ourselves." Even after his bold statement, he couldn't stop himself. He glanced towards Noctis for some type of approval.

Noctis merely smirked. "Go get 'er Specs," was all he said.

Ignis smiled, half relief, half apology, then was sprinting off in the other direction to pick up her trail.

Noctis looked at the congregating people. "The only way out is by boat in the bay right now. Everyone meet at the harbor in an orderly fashion, and these guys here will ferry you out. I am going to stop the fire dome to give us more exits." There was the element of calm command in his voice that kept the people orderly. They lined up to do just as he said.

"Gladio, Ravus," you take care of the stuff at the harbor. "Cor, you go to the buildings you have approved for habitation and make sure everyone there gets the same message."

"Consider it done," Cor said, sprinting off to do just that.

"Come this way, everyone," Ravus said smoothly.

"No shoving. Keep it together," Gladio ordered more abrasively.

Noctis watched his comrades leap into action, then made his way as fast as he could to the Citadel. He still had no clue how to take down Ifrit, or if he'd now have to fight Ardyn too. However, he would do what he could. His soul shriveled at the thought of having to die to do it, again, but if he had to, he would. He was King, and that was his lot.

* * *

 **That's a wrap (for now). Hope you enjoy, and see you next time!**


	30. Chapter 30: Cursed Haven

**Hi Everyone! I have another chapter ready to go. As always, I hope I'm not dumping too much too fast. Based on the hit logs, you all seem to be keeping up ok (virtual cookies to you all for supporting this long story and for reading so soon after posting). So with that, here goes...**

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The secret passage to the Citadel through the sewer was still here, Ardyn thought smugly. It had been years, possibly centuries, since he had last used it, but the landmarks were coming back to him. Plus, he just had to follow the muddy (or worse) footprints coming from the opposite direction. It seemed that somebody had used this passage very recently. It seemed that Iris had been telling the truth about her escape when she recounted her tale of woe to them all.

If Ardyn played his cards right he would end up in the cellars underneath the Citadel. He hoped it wouldn't be the dungeons—he had had his fill of those, but he would take what he could get.

He was tired of the slow pace Noct and his crew were setting. If they waited any longer Ifrit would find a way to use the crystal and destroy everyone. And he would use Lux to do it. The brat had already destroyed Gralea and Galdin Quay if the stories were to be believed. What would stop him from destroying everything else? And for that matter, why hadn't he yet? It didn't make sense, and Ardyn didn't like things that didn't make sense. Noct may be up for playing with the daemons in the streets and lamenting about "his kingdom." Ardyn had bigger fish to fry.

The biggest danger here was the crystal, and an immature idiot like Lux trying to use it. If Noct could take down Ifrit before, he could do it again. Dealing with the crystal was what was required. He clenched his fist in frustration. If only his brother had done what he had suggested two thousand years ago, none of this would have happened. They could have destroyed the crystal, once and for all. Sure, it would have cost them their lives to do it, but it would have been worth it. His stupid shortsighted brother had chickened out. He hadn't wanted to die, leaving Ardyn to try to destroy the crystal on his own.

Ardyn had used his powers of darkness on it in an attempt to destroy it, but to no avail. Without his brother's power of light to balance it out, Ardyn had been unsuccessful. All he had done was infuriate the crystal, causing it to reject him, and as a final insult, accidentally rendering him immortal instead. And his cowardly brother was left to be the Founder King, garnering all the accolades of a world savior when all they had done was put in a stop gap and delay the inevitable. And Ardyn's immortality allowed him to watch the consequences of his brother's cowardice for the last 2000 years.

If Noct was the true hero of light, he would help Ardyn with this himself, but Ardyn couldn't bank on that. Now that Noct had been given his life back, along with Luna's, he suddenly had something to lose, and would balk at martyring himself again.

If Ardyn couldn't destroy the crystal, he just had to stop an idiot from trying to use it. He would stop Lux by any means necessary. If he had to strike the boy down in order to wrest the crystal out of his control, he would do it. Even if Lux was Ardyn's own flesh and blood, and if it would hurt Aranea, he would do it. He had killed before to achieve his goals. He would do it again if he must. There could only be one wielder of the power of darkness, and it would be Ardyn Lucis Caelum.

The cold steel against the back of his neck was the only sign of her presence. He sighed. He needed to stop underestimating Aranea.

"You take one more step and this lance goes through your throat," Aranea spoke coldly from behind him.

Ardyn turned, languidly, to see his nemesis, cold implacability on her face, lance still dangerously close to his neck. "The success of your venture depends on whether or not I am still immortal, does it not," he spoke smoothly. The salvo hit home. Aranea had forgotten about that detail apparently. She moved the weapon away fractionally.

"Whatever you are planning on doing, I won't let you do it," she stated boldly.

Ardyn's gaze raked her, sizing up her intentions, her worthiness as a foe. If he truly were still immortal, he could have annihilated her on the spot. Well, it would probably not have been as easy as that. She was a formidable foe, but mortality was her handicap. When it came down to it, he would have won under sheer attrition. He could have outlasted her. It was a moot point though, seeing as he was now mortal. It wouldn't do for her to know that though. It would give her an advantage he couldn't afford.

He simply shrugged. "Very well. Then come with me. At the first sign of treachery, feel free to kill me, or try to," he added darkly.

"Don't mind if I do," Aranea replied tartly. "After all, comrades must watch each other's backs."

Ardyn smirked, hearing her sarcasm for what it was. "Indeed," was all he said. "And besides, you do owe me. If it weren't for me, you'd be buried under a ton of rock right now."

Aranea's mouth tightened. "If you want a thank you, I can't give it. All I can think about is why you did it at all. What do you have to gain by it?"

"Who knows? Maybe I just like you," Ardyn oozed.

The look on her face made that comment worth it. It was rare to be able to fluster her, but he knew he had. "I can't return the sentiment, sorry," Aranea replied coolly, her composure returning.

"Pity," was all Ardyn said.

"Where are we going," Aranea demanded, changing the subject.

"To the Citadel, of course," Ardyn replied.

"Shouldn't we make our way back up to the surface to get there," she asked.

"And do exactly what Ifrit expects? I think not. Besides, we can get to the Citadel from here."

"A secret passage," Aranea said, grasping the hint.

Ardyn nodded. "Granted, it has been awhile, but I believe it's this way."

Aranea walked behind him. She hated having him lead the way—it made it seem like he was the leader of their little party. However, she would much rather be where she could see him than have him behind her. He was known to stab people in the back. If he wanted to do the same to her, he'd have to do it to her face. Although he could warp or shapeshift, she remembered with a stab of alarm. She shook her head to clear it. She wasn't afraid of Ardyn Izunia. And she was damned if she was going to let him go off on his own and betray them all. She would stop him from doing it, or die trying.

* * *

Holly grunted as she hefted Prompto's unconscious form to the side of the road. She had used all of her strength dragging Talcott to the same location. For as slight as Prompto was, he was still giving her a workout. She had hesitated moving them. They said that any time you saw somebody injured or unconscious you shouldn't move them, lest you break their spine trying.

However, she had had no choice. Medics weren't coming out this way, and leaving her friends on the road for any car to hit them was not advisable. Once they were on the dusty roadside, she could take a better look at them. She didn't like the bumps and bruises they had, and the fact that they were still unconscious.

The spill they had taken when Ifrit tossed the truck had been considerable. And concrete was unforgiving. They needed phoenix downs, and the couple of bottles she had had in the truck were shattered in the crash. She was such a coward. She had been more focused on escaping the truck that she hadn't even thought of supplies, or of helping the others. She had just cowered in the brush, watching the others suffer.

She was nothing special. She wasn't an Oracle, or a warrior of light, or a badass hunter. She was just a powerplant worker who had gotten in way over her head. She had two seriously injured people she couldn't heal, and she was utterly alone. If a beast showed up now, she'd be defenseless and injured too.

She could rig up or repair a thousand-volt power cable anywhere at any time without breaking a sweat. She wasn't too bad with plumbing or duct work either. But put her out here in the wilderness, and she was utterly useless. If Gladio were here, he'd probably have successfully foraged for more than enough potions to save their lives, but all she could do was sit here helplessly watching her friends suffer.

The sound of an engine disrupted her self-pity. She looked up to see a giant red fire engine lumbering down the road in her direction. Help, she realized in shock, then was up waving frantically to get it to stop. It stopped in the road, then Cindy was clumsily climbing out of the too-high passenger side.

"Cindy! What the hell," Holly blustered in surprise.

"I hear Insomnia is burnin'. I fixed up this here fire truck so that we can help out."

"And time's wastin', came a grizzled voice from the driver's side. She recognized that voice. Cid. She hadn't seen the elderly mechanic/Cindy's grandfather since light had returned. He had moved out of Lestallum into a fishing shack near Rachsia Bridge, citing that he missed the "great outdoors". The fact that he had abandoned his voluntary retirement for this was pretty telling.

"Talcott and Prompto are injured," Holly exclaimed. "And Iris and Luna were, captured, by Ifrit."

The string of profanity Cid muttered against Ifrit was colorful. He stiffly climbed out of the truck, having so much difficulty that it at first seemed like he needed as much assistance as Prompto and Talcott. However, once he found his feet on the ground, he waddled over to the recumbent forms.

"Wake up, now," he called out, but to no avail.

Cindy was pale as she hovered over Prompto. Then she plopped down beside him and placed his head in her lap. "Can somebody get me a phoenix down please," she asked. "They're in the truck."

Holly ran to do her bidding, and returned with a bag of potions.

"They, look bad off," Cindy said in concern. "I don't think pouring the potions over them will work. We have to get them to drink it."

"They be unconscious," Cid replied. "Gettin' them to drink anything is a tall order."

Cindy didn't reply, but unscrewed the top of the potion bottle with shaking hands, nudged Prompto's mouth open, then gently poured the potion in. She rubbed his throat to help him make weak swallows. She was rewarded when Prompto's muscles took over, and he finished the rest of the potion.

Using her example, Holly repeated the process for Talcott. They watched as the bruises and contusions slowly faded away. Their unconsciousness switched over to a healing sleep.

"They'll be all right now," Cid said bracingly. "Just keep 'em comfortable, and they'll wake up in no time. Here, Miss Holly," Cid added, handing her a bottle of potion. "You should have some as well."

"I wasn't injured," Holly said.

"The way that truck is, and the scrapes on your elbows say different," Cid said baldly. "Here."

She drank the potion in a daze. It seemed he was right. She had been in pain and hadn't known it. The potion melted it away.

"We've got to get to Insomnia," Holly said desperately. "Ifrit has Luna and Iris. I, don't know what he will do to them."

Cindy looked towards Insomnia with a mix of wistfulness and desperation. "I know it's tough, but I think we need Prompto and Talcott to heal up first. We need all the help we can get here, and leaving 'em alone wouldn't help. We keep 'em comfortable, rest here a bit, then move along as soon as they are able."

Cindy proceeded to shift Prompto a bit so that he was more firmly on her lap. Cid just shook his head and plopped on the ground next to Talcott. He drew the line at holding him in his lap, but he would keep an eye on him to make sure he was ok on the ground.

Holly wanted to get going. They needed to help. But right now she was too tired. A minute or two with her eyes closed wouldn't hurt, she reasoned, eyes growing heavy. She drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Luna surveyed the haven with misgivings. The fact that they were evidently stopping here wasn't good. And given what Ifrit had already said, Luna already suspected the nature of his plans for them. This haven had seen better days—the daemon-protecting light that she had spent long hours on her knees blessing the haven to generate—was long faded. Now it was just an empty rock with runes on it, with a small area for a tent and a campfire.

Ifrit set her and Iris down, roughly, then strode to the edge of the plateau, arms behind his back, staring at Insomnia. They had a good vantage point of it from here—the campsite was on a ledge overhanging the bayside of the city. Luna could see the city from here. It being bathed in a red glow of fire was giving her flashbacks to the previous attack on Insomnia—the taking of the Ring of the Lucii into her keeping, fleeing corrupted Glaives to get the ring out of town to Noctis. It wasn't pleasant to remember, and it was not like her present situation was any better.

Luna knew it would be foolish to run. For all that Ifrit had his back to them, his senses were on high alert. And with a being that size, he would catch up to them in no time. Instead, she hurried over to Iris. She saw the bruising around her neck and heard her ragged breathing. Ifrit had done a number on her, Luna thought with anger. But then again, she wasn't doing too great, either. Her chest still hurt—she had used whatever healing light she could to mend her broken ribs on the way here, but she had to conserve her powers. While the immediate threat of broken ribs puncturing her lungs was gone, her chest was still bruised and hurting.

She would have to use some more of her powers for Iris. With a wary glance to see if Ifrit would try to stop them, she manifested healing light in her hands, and gently touched Iris's throat. The light illuminated the bruising for a moment, highlighting the greens and yellows amid the black and blue. Then all the colors reverted back to Iris's normal skin tone. The healing light had done its job.

Luna sat back, exhausted. Iris's eyes fluttered open. Luna gestured, sharply, to try to keep Iris from crying out or doing anything to draw attention to themselves. She needn't have worried. Iris kept silent, looked around, saw Ifrit brooding at the horizon, paled further, then stared back at Luna, a fearful question in her eyes.

"We are at a campsite near Insomnia," Luna whispered. "I, don't know why Ifrit stopped here, but from what he was saying earlier, I think it is bad news for us. He, mentioned something about a 'harem'," Luna concluded, to drive the point home. Iris understood, clenched her fists, and stared back at Ifrit with hatred.

"Anywhere to run or hide," Iris whispered, scanning the area desperately.

Being on a cliff overlooking the bay may have had a commanding view, but it didn't give them many options for escape. The only way out was the way they came. In order for them to escape, they would have to dash downhill, into a brush-strewn plain. Cover was negligible, Ifrit held the high ground, and would see them wherever they ran. Plus, if he could catch up to a moving vehicle, he could catch up to running females all too easily. But if they split up…

"Iris," Luna leaned in, keeping her voice so low Iris had to strain to hear it. "If we run down the hill then split up, Ifrit will only pursue one of us. I think it would be me since he wants to use me to hurt Noctis. You can use that time to get away."

"And leave you alone with him? I don't think so," Iris whispered back boldly. "Misery loves company, so it's better if we face this together. We can support each other, and serve as each other's witnesses. If nothing else, it makes it more difficult for him."

"Or makes us a captive audience," Luna whispered back. "Just what he wants—," she stopped cold when they felt the rumbling behind them. Ifrit was striding back their way.

"You should have used this time to relieve yourselves," Ifrit said coldly. "I know you humans waste years of your lives doing that," he added hatefully.

"Just what we want to do, use the bathroom in front of you," Iris snapped back.

Ifrit's lips thinned. "You will notice I had my back turned for a good while," he commented. "There is actually nothing I'd like to look at less. Humans revolt me enough as it is."

"Why did you bring us here," Luna spoke up. "I doubt it's because you care enough about us to give us a pit stop."

"Right to the point, Oracle. I like that," Ifrit said, coldly. "I'm surprised you aren't trying to make me talk, to stall the inevitable torture."

"By all means, do it," Luna said coldly. "Although I don't think it would be biologically possible to, do what you have in mind as Ifrit. Sheer size difference you understand. You will have to revert to your human form, become a human, to do it."

Iris stared at Luna, awestruck. What was she doing? Was she goading him to turn into Belenus and proving her right, giving him ideas? But then, if he did revert to his human form, he would be smaller, slower. He couldn't catch up to the other in his human form, meaning one could possibly escape. Was Luna trying to goad him into changing into Belenus, to harm her, thus giving Iris the chance to escape?

Luna kept her eyes fixed on Ifrit. She could tell that she had nonplussed him. Ifrit clenched his hands in frustration. This Oracle did know a fair amount his kind. And she knew how much he hated humans, had guessed how much he despised taking the form of one of them. And to do what he threatened, he would have to do just that. Would he really want to lower himself, to weaken himself, just to torture them in the way he had had in mind?

Luna, wasn't worth it. Her only purpose was to be murdered in front of Noctis just as Shiva had been murdered before him. The fact that he had murdered Shiva himself did not even factor into his calculations. Iris on the other hand…he had already tasted her—he wanted to do so again. She would be worth, weakening himself for. But now was not the time and place for it. He would save Iris for later. It was not like she could go anywhere.

His eyes narrowed as he saw movement in the bay. Boats were making their way out of the city. He rose his hands, poised to toss fireballs their way, but then, that was too much effort. He needed to stop them at the source. It was time to return to his firebound kingdom. There he would wait for Noctis, slay Luna before his eyes, then take down Noctis and all his allies himself. Then he would hang Ardyn's head from the nearest lamppost, claim Iris as his concubine, then have daemon Lux destroy the world. He would be a true king—not a pretender like Lux, Noctis, or Ardyn.

He surged forward, grabbing his captives, and began the final run to his new kingdom.

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 **Till next time! Thanks for reading.**


	31. Chapter 31: A Better Class of Villain

**Hi Everyone! In case you are bored this weekend here is a short chapter to keep things going. Thanks a bunch as always for giving this story a chance.**

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Prompto was outside, he realized, dazed. He could smell the dusty air—feel the sand scuttle across his skin. Yet the ground itself wasn't hard. He was actually cushioned quite nicely. He opened his eyes, to see Cindy right in his line of vision, hovering over him.

He realized that the cushion he was on was actually her lap, and he had to admit, it felt good.

"Er, Cindy," he said in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

Cindy smiled in relief. Prompto was temporarily captivated. "I was comin' to help, silly," she said. "I figured with all those phoenix downs you use up, you would need it," she added jokingly.

"Oh, those aren't mine, they are, uh Gladio's," Prompto lied, as blasé as he could be in an attempt to hide his, less than strong, constitution from Cindy.

He need not have bothered. She just gave him a knowing glance. "You sure needed one this time," she said gently. "Holly says you got put through quite the ringer."

That brought memory slicing back. "Holly, Luna, Iris, Talcott. Are they ok?"

"Holly and myself are," Talcott spoke from his right. Prompto figured he should get up and look around, even though he didn't want to leave the comfort of Cindy's lap.

He sat up, sizing up the totaled truck in the street, the fire truck beside it, and the desolate stretch of desert that was their temporary haven. He saw Talcott, sitting up, looking around with similar confusion that he had. Holly was dozing on the ground with Cid sitting cross-legged next to her as though guarding her.

"Where are Luna and Iris," Prompto asked, sharply.

"Holly says Ifrit has them," Cindy said, sadly.

"Shit," Prompto exploded, then remembered that he was in the company of ladies. Ignis would chide him about being ungentlemanly around females by using language like that. "Um, I mean, darn it," Prompto added awkwardly.

"Say what you mean. Ifrit is an asshole," Cindy spoke up. "I saw him in his human form. I didn't like the way he was lookin' at me. And the way he was so fixated on finding Iris," Cindy shivered. "If you guys are good to travel, we should head to Insomnia."

"Agreed," Prompto said, then rose, too quickly. He staggered for a moment, still dizzy.

Cindy responded with alacrity, leaping up and throwing an arm around him to hold him steady.

He righted himself, but didn't let her go. "You know," he said, almost hesitantly. "I could almost, get used to this."

Cindy smirked and said. "Maybe if we survive this, we could do this more often."

Ok. Granted, Prompto didn't know much about women, but that sounded like, flirting to him. Should he, kiss her now or something? He wanted to, but he knew his limitations. He wasn't very good at it. Still, the expectant way she was looking at him, he had to try. He leaned down to touch his lips to hers—

"Save the mushy stuff for later," Cid cut in abrasively. "We have a world to save, again," he added, bringing Prompto back to the point.

He was right. Now was not the time for this. But there would, maybe, be a time soon, he thought in sudden hope.

The troops piled into the fire engine, and lumbered their way to Insomnia.

* * *

Ardyn found Iris's escape hatch. The grate was still moved aside and was just the right size for a human to use. However, it was designed for bodies to be dropped down through it. As such, it had no ladder. And it was eight feet up. He could warp through it no problem, but what about Aranea? This might be a good place to lose her.

"Here is our way in," he told his companion. "However, we seem to have a bit of a problem. It is quite a way up with no ladder. If you don't mind me lifting you, I can probably get you in that way," he added offhandedly, but with an undercurrent of suggestion that made Aranea's face tighten.

"No need," she said coolly. "Stand aside." And with that she made a dragoon leap right through it, smoothly landing on the balls of her feet within the Citadel.

Ardyn smirked. It did no good to underestimate a dragoon. "I am glad you timed your jump correctly. If you had miscalculated, you could have hit your head," he added condescendingly. Then he warped in himself. Right into the torture chamber it seemed.

Aranea was looking around in horror. "I didn't realize Insomnia was into this sort of thing," she sputtered in surprise.

"Oh please," Ardyn sniped. "All civilizations, whether they have kings or emperors, have some sort of method of obtaining information they need by force or for punishing enemies they deem worthy of punishment. Why should Insomnia be any different?"

"Now it makes sense that you were part of the Royal Family," Aranea replied scathingly.

"Part of it, but never King. Just a lowly usurper," Ardyn replied with bitterness.

"I hope you are not planning to confront Ifrit on your own," Aranea said. "Even with your 'silver tongue' I doubt you can get him to allow you to team up with him. He will kill you on sight, or try to."

Ardyn smirked again. "Silver tongue, hmm. I'm flattered that you noticed, Aranea."

Aranea snorted derisively, her only response.

"As it happens, I am not here for Ifrit. I am here to see my son," Ardyn replied.

Aranea stiffened. "I will kill you before I let you anywhere near him," she said in mounting fury.

"We are already close to him, my dear. If you want to engage an immortal man, I won't stop you. However, I think it is fair to warn you, you will lose," Ardyn replied coolly.

He was right, Aranea thought bitterly, willing herself to calm down. Even with all her strength, she couldn't take on an immortal being. She could beat him to Lux though, if she could somehow delay him. Then she saw it—the rusty manacle chained to the wall. Could she really do this? He was dangerously fast, and seemed to read her disturbingly well. He was no weakling, either, despite the foppish persona he put on. He was able to put Noctis through his paces at Noctis's strongest.

She mentally shook her head. She was not one to second guess things. Now was a time for action. She had said she would do anything for Lux. She could not back down now. Ardyn may have been strong, but Aranea still had the element of surprise in her favor. She had a second to register the look of surprise on his (although she hated admitting it) maturely handsome face as she lunged forward and pushed him back into the wall. The impact temporarily winded him, which gave her the precious seconds she needed. She grabbed his hand, clasped the rusty cuff around his wrist, then leapt back before he could retaliate.

He caught his breath. "Ah, Aranea. I didn't realize you were into this sort of thing," he added, turning her previous words to him around suggestively, to Aranea's disgust. "I might otherwise find it fun, but I confess I am a bit tired of prisons at the moment." His drawled comments were as slimy as ever, but Aranea knew he was full on furious. His eyes were blazing with fury—his face pinched in anger. Aranea knew, rationally, that there was a dangerous man beneath the urbane exterior, but she had never seen it herself until now. She had one second of fear. If he broke free right now, what would he do to her?

She hid that fear behind a mask of confidence. "I won't let you have Lux," she said, decisively. "And don't worry. I will tell Noctis exactly where you are. He will decide whether to free you or not."

And with that, she strode out of the room, through the dungeons, and made her way up to the throne room.

* * *

Ignis found his way to the other side of the rubble where Aranea had been. It had taken some doing, finding a manhole, climbing down, then retracing the trail. And each second he did this, he knew Aranea was in danger. Now that he was where she had been, he had to figure out where she was going. He hadn't seen any removed manhole covers, indicating that either she hadn't surfaced, or she had taken the time to replace the manhole cover when she climbed out. With how rushed they all were, he doubted it was the latter.

That meant she was still in the sewers then? But why? Where was she going? Why in bloody hell couldn't she have stayed put? When he found her, he would have words with her. He knew she was self-sufficient, but this was far enough. For ten years she thought she had to protect him, even though he was fully functional despite his, situation. He was going to show her otherwise, and protect her instead. No, scrap that. He would bloody well save her, from herself. He wouldn't let her be alone anymore. She had been there for him—he would be there for her.

But first he had to find her. If she hadn't left the sewers, that meant she was using them to get somewhere. The Citadel, he realized with a jolt. He suddenly remembered the tunnel in the old torture chamber Noctis had told them about when they were young. They had all been too frightened to explore it. Well, Ignis had not been "frightened", per say. He was just rational enough to know it was dangerous to explore it, and they could hurt themselves doing so. A passage through the sewers would explain why Aranea was still down here. But then, how did she know about it?

Ardyn, he realized with a chill. He had been on her side of the rubble as well. Was he using it to get into the Citadel? What was he planning? Was Aranea going with him of her own accord, or had he abducted her for some reason? Or, was she pursuing him? And what would happen if Ardyn caught her? And if she ran into Ifrit as well…none of these options were acceptable, and Ignis was damned if he was going to leave Aranea alone with either of them.

He would have to hurry, but his rational mind was telling him he needed a plan first. However, his emotions, the same emotions that made him admire Aranea to distraction, weren't listening. The emotions that taunted him at night with farfetched dreams of Aranea being in his arms were now torturing him with images of Aranea lying backstabbed at Ardyn's feet, or incinerated by Ifrit. A plan be damned. He sprinted towards the general direction of the Citadel, keeping his eye out for Aranea's unconscious (or worse) form as he went. If he found Ardyn or Ifrit had touched a hair on her glorious head, he would kill them. As simple as that.

* * *

Ardyn willed his anger to subside back to the dark abyss where it always dwelled. Being hot-headed never helped anything, although if it would give him the strength to break free of his bondage, pursue Aranea, then make her pay for what she had done to him, he might consider letting it out. If he did though, he'd be no better than Ifrit, and with two foes blinded by anger, it would not end well.

Besides, Ardyn was a better villain than Ifrit ever was. Ardyn knew Ifrit all too well. He knew Ifrit was vengeful and all action-reaction. He saw a slight and acted on it. He just did things, without a plan, without thinking. He would destroy the world, his own home, just to act out against his own personal bigotry.

Ardyn was under no illusions about himself. Even if he were delusional enough to think himself a misunderstood hero, all it took was the constant mistrust and hatred from Noctis and his comrades to tell him otherwise. Oh yes, he was bad. He knew it. He would leave absolute carnage in his wake if it meant the world was still standing at the end.

But that was the difference between him and Ifrit—no matter how many lives Ardyn took in the process he would leave the world intact. Well, maybe shrouded in darkness, but it would still be there. Surviving humans would just have to adapt or die. Ifrit would not give them that option. He would kill them all then turn Eos to a barren rock. Ardyn would leave something to rule. Ifrit would leave a broken crater.

Ardyn would not be Ifrit, even though Aranea almost drove him to it. He would do what he always did and play the long game. Revenge was a dish best served cold and directly to your enemy. It would be disastrous if that dish was sent to the wrong table or to everyone in the restaurant. He closed his eyes and felt the rage retreating.

Once he was more in control of himself, he studied the rusty cuff chafing his right arm. He was glad he had played the "immortal card" with Aranea. If he hadn't, he figured he'd be dead now. Now that he was calmer and could look at things more dispassionately, he had to admit Aranea's strength and cunning really were spectacular. It was a pity she hated his guts, and that she and Ignis were in love with each other apparently (if they would ever get to the point and confess it already). Otherwise, he might have enjoyed courting her himself. He stood by what he had said before: Verstael had chosen wisely when fusing Ardyn's genes with hers.

That wouldn't stop Ardyn from giving her some payback though. Did she really think this old chain would keep him bound for long? He sighed at the necessity, and manifested a pistol. He really hated using them—so loud, and they lacked the panache of a simple dagger. One could kill someone easily and quietly at a state dinner with a dagger to the back. A gun was too loud, messy, and liable to draw too much attention. However, he needed one now.

He pointed the pistol at the chain on the wall, holding him in place, flinched in advance of the noise and the shrapnel, then pulled the trigger. The sound was annoying, as was the recoil that knocked the gun, jolting his only usable hand. He also wasn't too keen on the bits of chain and wall that peppered him after the ricochet. However, it had worked. He was now free.

He still had the rusty bracelet on though, but he could handle that part, for now anyway. With that pesky setback handled, he strode through the dungeons on the way to the crystal room. He doubted Aranea would be too happy to see him, but too bad for her. And if Lux wasn't there, Ardyn would have free access to the crystal. If Lux was there, well, he'd have to give it up. And if he wanted to fight about it, Ardyn would be happy to oblige him. And if Aranea got in Ardyn's way, well, he'd have to show her that he may be mortal, but was still a force to be reckoned with.

* * *

 **Hope you don't think I am making excuses for what Ardyn did in game. He did horrible stuff-no argument there. However, I figure a guy like him would try to make excuses for it, and have some kind of warped reasons of his own for doing what he did. Whether the goals I have written in for him explain/excuse his "evil" actions a bit is up to you as you read :) I will be very curious what they do with him in Episode Ardyn-but I hear that's not coming out till 2019 :( Anyway, that's my soapbox for today-thanks for reading and see you next time!**


	32. Chapter 32: Healing of the Afflicted

**Hey there! I know it's only been a couple of days, but since I will be going on vacation later this week, I figured I would post as much of what I have done as possible before I go. Here's hoping I have time to write on my vacation, but we will see. Anyway, enough rambling ;-) Here we go! Thanks for reading as always.**

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Now Ravus knew how the gondoliers of Altissia felt. He had been back and forth in this little speedboat for so long he thought he would never get his land legs back. Luckily his armor was holding up—each time he ventured through the steam, he braced himself for the feel of melting plastic on his skin. So far it had not happened. He was still roasting hot, but his armor was holding.

He was not alone in his ferrying. He could see Gladio doing the same thing—his boat was paralleling his in the bay. Theirs were not the only two boats though. It was a testament to the inhabitants of Insomnia—they had learned to band together in times of crisis. They hadn't survived ten years of darkness for nothing. When the first set of refugees had made it across, some, having seen how the crossing through the steam worked, volunteered to return to the city, commandeer more boats, and help ferry others to safety.

Others were staying onshore to help pull the boats in when they arrived, and to help get frightened women and children off. One resourceful person had even unlocked the fishing shack and was using it as a relief station for the refugees. The leftover potions it stocked were being put to good use, treating burns and random injuries.

Still, despite all of this, the evacuation process was slow. The boats were small and could only hold handfuls of people at a time. With 5000 or so to move, it would take forever. Plus the sun was going down. It would be night soon. Would the fire give off enough light to continue the evacuation efforts?

Ravus stared at the fire dome from the opposite shore, girding his loins to sail back into the fray. Gladio was evidently doing the same thing. "Noct is sure taking his sweet time," Gladio snarked.

"I suppose if you were there you would have won by now," Ravus returned mockingly.

"I took Ifrit down before. I can do it again."

"It took four of you to do it if memory serves," Ravus replied.

Any reply Gladio would have made was drowned out by a siren. They glanced sharply towards the sound, then saw the flashing red lights of a fire engine speeding down the bridge towards the city. Gladio and Ravus hurried to the truck to see what was going on, and to offer what information/assistance they could.

Prompto hopped out of the truck first.

"Guys! I'm so happy to see you," Prompto exclaimed in relief. "What the hell is going on?"

"What does it look like," Gladio replied sharply. "Ifrit's got the city in a lockdown, and we've got to get 5000 people out of here." Then he noticed the missing party members. "Where the hell are Luna and Iris," he demanded.

Prompto looked down, hangdog, causing Gladio's heart to lurch in dread.

"Ifrit attacked us, and took them. I was trapped in the truck and couldn't help them. I'm sorry," Prompto said.

There was a stream of eloquent cursing, but not from Gladio. Gladio and Prompto turned to face Ravus in shock.

"I didn't think an aristocrat such as yourself even knew those words," Gladio commented, amused despite the horror that was slicing through him.

Prompto just silently gaped.

"I'm also a military commander," Ravus replied snootily. "And I'm glad you can be so amused about this. Shouldn't you be more worried about your sister and mine? Don't you remember what Miss Iris said about Ifrit? The fact that she, and Luna, are in his vile clutches is not a laughing matter!"

Gladio sobered up. "We will recover them. I will make sure of it. And even if I don't, Noct is already tracking him down. That fiery bastard won't get far, and we will take down whatever Noctis leaves for us."

"I for one want to castrate him," Ravus said coldly, earning a scandalized gasp from Prompto.

"Fine with me," Gladio said. "I'd be happy ripping his heart out with my bare hands."

Prompto cleared his throat, gesturing frantically to draw their attention to what was behind them.

Gladio turned to see Cindy, Holly, Cid, and Talcott all gathered around the truck listening to the brutal exchange. His gaze settled on Holly.

"Long time, no see, Holly," was all Gladio said.

"Well who's fault is that," she spat. "You were in Lestallum and it never occurred to you to look me up?"

Gladio stiffened. "Yeah I would have asked you out, except that there was a problem with two gods fighting and people to save," he replied coldly.

Rationally, Holly knew that was the case, and knew she shouldn't bring it up now given their concern for Iris and Luna, but she wasn't about to back down. If he cared enough, he would have found a way to see her, her emotions told her. She resorted to haughty silence then glanced to the fire dome blocking their path to a rescue. It would take a lot of water to get through that…

"Welp, what are we waitin' fer," Cid cut in. "Let's git that hose goin'."

Cindy and Talcott agreed with alacrity, leaping back into the truck and starting to spray the fire dome with all the fire hose could give them. The spray was helping in that it was leaving a few feet gap within the flames, but it was obvious that the gap would close as soon as the water stopped.

And the water would stop. The built-in water tank on the truck was finite. Already the hose stream was weakening as it rapidly depleted the water.

Holly saw that coming. "We need more pressure and more water," she said. "We've got to connect the hose to the bay itself. Then we can keep spraying indefinitely."

"I don't have time to wait while you jury rig something, even if you have anything to work with. I for one am going back to the boats," Ravus said coldly, then began to stride away.

Holly snorted. "I've done more with a lot less," she said to his retreating back, then rummaged into the storage compartment of the truck. She emerged with a foot pump. "I figured it might have one," she said smugly. "I know trucks in Duscae do. This lets them leverage natural water to put out fires if there are no fire hydrants nearby. Now we just need to connect the hose to it."

Ravus had turned back, and was looking at the materials curiously. He noticed most of the boats were mid-transit, and the location where the truck was spraying was much closer. Maybe he should see what Holly had in her bag of tricks. He meandered back to the truck.

Cid had exited the truck, and was looking at the hose connection to the water tank dubiously. "That's on there pretty tight," he commented. "We can't unscrew that with our bare hands."

"I've got this," Gladio said with a macho swagger. "If I have to rip the damn thing out to get us to Iris and Luna I will," he added with clenched teeth.

"Oh no you don't," Cindy replied from the top of the truck. "Brute strength will just strip the threading in the hose connector and we won't be able to reattach it anywhere. And if we break the hose we're shit out of luck."

Gladio's shoulders slumped, temporarily crestfallen.

"We've got to come up with something fast," Talcott said, pointing to the drying up hose stream. The water tank of the truck was just about empty.

Holly rummaged in the storage compartment again, and emerged, struggling with a giant monkey wrench. It was so heavy it nearly unbalanced her to even walk with it, but this was her domain. She may have been useless in the desert, but this she could do, even if she broke her arms trying.

Gladio didn't let her.

"Give that here," he ordered.

"I've got this," she replied, turning with it to get it in position, only to stumble back when Gladio pulled it out of her hands as though snatching candy from a baby.

Even worse, she had been bracing herself to carry that weight. With it suddenly gone, she stumbled back, barreling into a hard strong body. She knew, instinctively, that it was Gladio's. She glanced up, flustered, just to see Gladio gazing down at her, with a triumphant smirk on his face that she longed to slap off.

"Tell me what I do with this thing," he said, bringing her back to the point. She instructed him how to loosen the hose's connection to the tank and then connect it to the pump. From there it was a matter of kicking the hose end of the pump into the bay to give them a water supply.

"Somebody's gotta pump, and somebody else hasta hold the hose," Cid replied.

"I have the hose, Pops," Cindy said.

"I'll do the pump," Prompto said, making his way over to it.

"You crazy son," Cid replied. "Aren't you gonna help your friends? They all need ya."

Prompto looked to Gladio and Ravus uncertainly. "I, was useless in protecting them before. If, you don't want me to come with you…"

Gladio rolled his eyes. "You aren't getting out of this. You're coming with us," he said firmly, to Prompto's relief.

"I'll do the pump," Holly replied, rushing over to the pump to tap her foot on it like a bass drum pedal.

It was working. The hose sprayed with so much force that it was leaving a gap in the fire dome large enough for multiple people. As long as they could keep this up, Insomnia had another way out.

"We can get through there," Prompto said. "Come on Gladio, Ravus. Let's go save the girls and Noct!"

"I doubt King Noctis needs saving, but I'm sure the _ladies_ could use some assistance," Ravus said coldly, striding past him to make his way across the bridge to the gap.

"We have another way out for the civilians," Talcott said. "I'll go in and start leading them out," he said, making a move to follow Ravus and Prompto.

"Wait a minute. I'll come with ya," Cid said, waddling after him to offer whatever assistance he could.

Gladio hung back for a moment, sizing up Holly who was keeping the water pump going. He couldn't keep the admiration out of his expression. "Not bad," he said gruffly.

"I may not be a warrior like you, but I know how to handle plumbing," she said.

Right after she said it, she realized the double meaning to what she had just said, and blushed.

Gladio smirked, making her realize that he had caught it too.

"Maybe when this is over we can see how 'handy' you really are," he said daringly. Then, before she could come up with a reply, he was running across the bridge to catch up with his comrades.

Holly folded her arms in a huff. "Macho asshole," she muttered angrily, to Cindy's amusement.

"I thought you liked his manly confidence," Cindy quipped.

Holly sniffed. "Confidence, not arrogance," she sniped back. "When he gets back here I _will_ show him how 'handy' I am when I smack his smug face!"

Cindy laughed. "No you won't and you know it. All he needs to do is give you that look he gives you, take you in your arms, and all will be forgiven."

"Take me in his arms? You've been around Prompto too long," Holly returned teasingly.

"Who would've thought. I mean, they're alive," Cindy said, awestruck.

Holly swallowed, suddenly serious. "I just hope they stay that way this time. And I hope they can save Luna and Iris." Then she returned to her work of keeping the flames at bay.

* * *

So this was what the throne room of Insomnia looked like, Aranea thought. In all the times she had been here to visit Cor, she had never been in this room. And she could see why. It was an, arrogant room. Shiny black tiles, velvet throne above everything else, the giant crystal behind it. It clearly said the King of Lucis was above everyone else. He was a King, not a Lucian. She could not see Noctis as belonging in this room. It reminded her of the throne room in Gralea, and it wasn't a pleasant comparison.

She had no time to muse further about the décor. She heard blood-curdling screams coming from behind the crystal. They did not sound like human screams. She remembered that sound, having heard it in the tunnels of Gralea. Ifrit had left a daemon to guard the throne room.

She readied her weapon and inched forward, slowly. The daemon rose drunkenly from the floor and made its way out from behind the crystal. It was, small for a daemon. Its glowing eyes fixated on her. The gaze softened for a moment, almost as though there was recognition there. Until it saw the drawn weapon. Its lips drew back in a feral grimace, then it hissed, ducked its head, and lunged. Aranea saw the top of the creature's head, saw the platinum blonde hair so like her own. The truth hit her like a fist in the gut. This daemon was Lux.

Aranea leapt back reflexively, sticking her polarm into the marble floor to give herself extra leverage to spin out of the way. She heard the crack of the tiles from the force of her weapon, and the squeak of a body sliding across the floor as her opponent couldn't stop its (no him) self in his lunge and fell flat on his face. Aranea kept her distance, trying to figure out what she should do. As she did so, daemon Lux rose and turned her way, hands out like claws.

And he did have claws. His fingers had become talons, long and black, and would rip her apart if she let him get too close. Ardyn's words came back to haunt her. "For your own safety, Aranea, I am warning you: if you attempt to save Lux when he is too far gone, he will destroy you. You can't afford to be sentimental. If he turns on you, you have to destroy him before he destroys you. I am not saying you have to make it hurt—I am just saying if you have to do it, do it quickly without hesitation."

Did she really have to put him out of his misery? Could she really strike down her own flesh and blood? Every instinct she had rebelled against the idea. She was, biologically anyway, his mother, even if she had never treated him as such. Could she really do something that, unnatural?

She was keeping her weapon drawn, keeping her distance. Lux was too. He was circling her, panting like a cornered animal. Aranea knew he would attack her if she made even the slightest movement.

She couldn't keep him like this, that was for damn sure. She would never allow him to have this kind of existence. She may have never truly been his mother, but she could do this for him. She already had enough regrets in this life—what was one more? She studiously ignored the fact that this regret would very well break her.

There was moisture on her face—she didn't know why. It couldn't be tears. Warriors like herself didn't cry. Death in combat was part of life. "I'm sorry Lux," she whispered. "I don't know what else to do for you, but I can't leave you like this. There will be a bit of pain at first, but then you will be safe. Nobody will ever hurt you again."

Daemon Lux stopped. For one second, she wondered if her words got through. He was looking at her expectantly. She knew, instinctively, that he was giving her the chance to end it. He did not want this existence either. She took a deep breath, raised her lance…

"So, you really will kill him? I'm glad you took my advice, even if it makes you a little less, maternal," Ardyn drawled from behind her.

The interruption disrupted the status quo. Aranea glanced over to Ardyn, jumped back, and lowered her weapon almost guiltily. Lux panicked and lunged forward again. He was not willing to accept his fate now. He was full on monster, and ready to fight for his existence. Aranea saw the movement out of the corner of her eye and turned back to confront him. But it was too late. She saw the talons out, aiming for her throat. Her weapon was at her side with not enough time to raise it. Her hesitation had killed her.

Or not. She suddenly felt her shoulder hit the floor with a sharp pain. It took her a moment to realize that she had been knocked to the floor and Ardyn was now standing between her and Lux.

"Rescuing you is becoming an unfortunate habit. I told you, Aranea: get him before he gets you," Ardyn said coldly. "And, Child. That's no way to treat your mother." On the heels of his patronizing lecture, Ardyn stepped slowly forward towards the daemon, hands out placatingly as though he were calming a savage beast.

"Don't you dare make him suffer," Aranea ground out, rising from the floor, disregarding the bruises she now had over probably her entire body.

"I'm not. Stay back," he ordered.

"So you can hurt him," Aranea snarked back, picking up her weapon.

Ardyn sighed. Aranea didn't even know what hit her. One second she was advancing upon him, the next second she was sound asleep on the floor.

Ardyn smirked triumphantly. Apparently he still had that little power. And it even worked to get Aranea out of the way for the moment, with the added bonus of allowing him a bit of revenge for her treatment of him in the dungeon. This gave him hope that he had his other powers as well, short of his immortality that is.

"Stand still, child," Ardyn said.

Lux replied by screaming and lunging forward at him. Ardyn sighed again. "Disobedient just like your mother," he said, clucking his tongue reprovingly. He reached out and grabbed Lux's wrists in a bruising grip to hold him still, then put his other arm around the kid's waist in a half-hug half body-check.

"I'm not really the 'hugging type' my boy, but you aren't leaving me much of a choice," Ardyn reproved, and summoned black mist. It swirled around them, picking up the black ooze encasing Lux. Like a cleansing fog, it retreated back into Ardyn, taking all of Lux's corruption with it. At the sudden removal of the daemon within, Lux's knees buckled and he collapsed against Ardyn in a dead faint.

"I said, I'm not the hugging type," Ardyn said dryly, then deposited him gently (by his standards anyway) to the floor. So, he evidently still had the powers to absorb daemons into himself. How nice, Ardyn thought dryly. Now if only he had his immortality back then he'd be able to show Ifrit a thing or two.

Ardyn's eyes glowed daemonically for a second until he tamped the absorbed darkness down deep into himself as he had always done. That was his only response to the transfer, before returning to his "normal" self.

Ardyn stared down at the kid, unconscious on the floor. "So, this is my son," he thought, studying the kid's face, trying to find evidence of himself in there. The boy's fair hair and skin screamed that he was Aranea's kid. How had she not known right after meeting him, Ardyn wondered. But the fact that the kid had had innate daemon in him for so long without turning was enough. Ardyn knew he was also his.

"What the hell did you do to them," demanded a cold, clipped voice from the doorway.

Ardyn turned to see Ignis studying the tableau, mingling of apprehension and anger on his face.

"My good deed for the day," Ardyn replied. "And seeing as you are here alone, no doubt to see to your lady love, perhaps you should wake her up," he added with a touch of acid.

Ignis rushed to Aranea and took her in his arms.

"It's just a sleep spell you know. She's not dead," Ardyn snarked over his shoulder, keeping his back turned to the couple. He didn't need to see the tender gazes, the reassuring each other that they were all right. Such displays nauseated him.

He sat down next to Lux, suddenly feeling tired and old. Since Aranea and Ignis would be busy with each other for a bit, it was down to him to make sure Lux didn't die after all of this. Maybe it would have been easier to have stood back and let Aranea kill the boy after all.

* * *

 **Till next time everyone! I just hit the 5000 reads mark on this story by the way. I'm pretty excited about that. Thanks to all of you guys and gals for giving this story the time of day :-)**


	33. Chapter 33: Knights Errant

**Hi Everyone! I know it's early, but I'm about to head out for vacation, so I wanted to post my next one before I head out. Thanks as always and hope you enjoy.**

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Luna hated being passive, and letting Ifrit drag her and Iris off to Insomnia as his prisoners. To meekly accept her fate was anathema to her. She could hold her own against Ifrit, but Iris was another story. If Luna escaped, it would leave Iris alone with him. If she fought back against him, Ifrit would retaliate against Iris. She had seen the covetous gazes he was giving Iris, and it made her sick with dread.

She wasn't sure why Ifrit had fixated on Iris, but it was evident that he had. And right now Luna had no way of saving them both. She had to stall, to bide her time while she thought of something. And in order to do so, she would have to lull Ifrit into a false sense of complacency. He had to think he held all the cards. He had to think they had given up. And then, only then, could she make a move to save them.

However, her time wasn't infinite. She remembered what Ifrit had told her. He wanted Noctis to watch her die. So when Noctis arrived, Luna's life was forfeit. She had faith in Noctis, that he would eventually prevail against Ifrit. However, she was beginning to think that if she waited for that, she would die.

She didn't want to die, again. When Noctis lay unconscious and dying in Altissia, and she was slowly bleeding out from the wound Ardyn had coldly bestowed upon her, she had known she could only save one of them. She had known that Noctis had the best chance of saving their star, so she had made the choice to save him rather than herself. Well, she wished she could have been that noble. The reality was she had done it because she loved Noctis, and couldn't bear to see him hurt.

She couldn't do it again. Yes, she loved Noctis, and would save him again and again if she had to. However, at the end of it all, she was only human. She wanted to live a normal life, at Noctis's side. She would rather be a live person, flaws and all, than be a dead martyr.

Ifrit dropped her and Iris to the ground, temporarily stunning them. When they regained their bearings, they looked around and saw they were in the courtyard before the Citadel—exactly where Noctis and Ifrit had had their confrontation last time. Before they could move, Ifrit built flame cages around them, trapping them at his feet. Then he built himself a throne of flames and sat down regally upon it.

Iris sneered. "Building a stage set, are you," she snarked to their captor. She didn't give a shit anymore. If she pissed him off enough that he killed her, she didn't care. She would rather go now than face anything else he had to throw at her.

Ifrit's lips thinned. "I will so enjoy teaching you manners," he sneered in return. "We will see if you change your tune after you are under me as my little toy."

Despite the flame prison, Iris felt chilled. Could she really wait for help to arrive? How soon until Ifrit moved beyond threats into action? She was a liability. Escape was impossible. The flames would kill her if she tried. However, Luna may still have a chance. She had powers of her own. The only thing holding her back was Iris.

And what was the point? Iris's death was a foregone conclusion anyway. There was no point in hanging on, waiting for him to make good on his threats. Surrendering to Ifrit and pretending to be "willing" would avail her nothing, either. He would just ravage her and kill her in the end anyway. It wouldn't even be a useful distraction for Luna.

Iris stared at the flames around her. She needed to be removed from the equation. That would give Luna more options, and would be the one thing Ifrit couldn't control. Oh, he could be depraved enough to defile Iris's corpse after, maybe, but at least she wouldn't be there to endure it. She was going to die anyway, so it at least it should be on her terms. She took a deep breath and stepped towards the flame barrier.

"What are you doing," Ifrit demanded, voice hard.

She ignored him, taking another step towards the cage. She should just do a running leap into the flames, she thought flatly, but even she had her limits. All she could do was put one foot in front of the other, slowly, deliberately, not thinking of what awaited her at the end of the path.

"Don't do it," Luna exclaimed! "It isn't necessary. Stop!"

Iris could feel the radiant heat now. Only a couple more steps, and she would be in the flames. She was almost at the point of no return.

"At least give me a chance to save you first, Iris" a cool, calm, but intense voice spoke from beyond the flames.

It was Noctis, sauntering forward with the confidence of a king, ready to fight.

* * *

His life, well, lives, seemed to be a mobius strip, Noctis thought quickly, as he sized up the asshole taking up residence in his courtyard. Ifrit was seated on his flame throne as before, haughty arrogance on his face just like in their last confrontation here. The only difference was that he now had hostages. He had taken Luna, Noctis's wife and beloved, hostage. He had nearly driven Iris, one of Noctis's oldest friends and best friend's sister, to suicide. Ifrit would pay dearly for that.

Noctis gave Luna and Iris a cursory glance to make sure they were (all things considered) ok. Luna was staring at him, fear on her face. He knew her well enough to know that it was fear for him, not for herself though. He smiled at her tenderly. "I've got this," he said. He glanced back sharply to Iris to make sure she wasn't still planning on killing herself. She was staring at him, awestruck, but appeared to be giving him a chance to do something first.

It would have been so much easier if he could have warped into those cages and gotten them out of the way immediately. However, even with his speed he could have only rescued one before Ifrit retaliated on the other. Not to mention, the flames would still burn them coming out no matter how quick he was. Noctis wasn't about to choose who he would save. It would be them both, even if it was more difficult.

He stared at Ifrit. He would not beg for his loved ones—that was just what Ifrit wanted him to do, and he would likely respond by killing them before his eyes. However, engaging him right now would also do the same thing. Noctis resorted to continuing to glare in silence at Ifrit, making him speak first.

Noctis won the battle of wills.

"So, you are the chosen king," Ifrit mocked, along the vein Noctis was expecting.

Noctis looked down at himself as though seeing himself for the first time. "I guess so," he replied calmly. "At least the crystal thought so."

Ifrit hissed. "The crystal is mine now," Ifrit replied. "I have control of it."

Keep him talking for a bit, Noctis told himself. Be like Iggy and think this one through. He shrugged, feigning indifference. "Cool," he said, as blasé as possible. "So then, why are you out here chilling with me, Luna, and Iris if you could be using the crystal against us?"

Iris stared at Noctis, awestruck. He was acting more mature and calm than a God. In a verbal duel of kings, he was coming out on top. He was reducing Ifrit to the immature brat he was. But more importantly, he was keeping Ifrit distracted. Just as Luna had done while Iris rescued Holly, Noctis was using that trick now.

Luna manifested healing light to use as a shield, and was inching out of her fire cage. A few more steps, and she would be free, and Ifrit had not even noticed.

He was too busy facing off against Noctis. He clenched his fists in frustration at Noctis's questions. "When Lux accepts his true calling, the crystal will be mine," he exclaimed.

"Oh. I get it. You are just killing time while you wait for this to happen," Noctis replied as though it explained everything. "I'm not sure why you, a God who is evidently superior to us would find it worth your time to keep humans captive, but then, Gods work in mysterious ways I guess," Noctis added affably.

He had pushed Ifrit too far. "Killing time! I will show you what I'm killing! You destroyed my woman, so I will destroy yours!" He manifested a flame sword from his hand and swept it down to Luna's cage.

If Luna had still been in there, it would have impaled her through the back of her neck. However, she was already at the edge of the cage and leapt clear just as the sword came down. Not only did Ifrit's sword not hit Luna, it collided with Noctis's sword in a riposte that would not disengage.

Noctis matched the strength of the blow with his own. "Let's talk, King to King," Noctis spoke smoothly, but infused with steel. "This is my kingdom, and I won't let you have it. Return to the realm from which you came, and I will let you leave."

Ifrit responded with a scream of rage, leaping back then surging forward to stomp Noctis with his foot. Noctis was faster and warped out of the way.

"Have it your way then," Noctis said, coldly, the leapt forward to begin the fight in earnest.

Luna wasn't idle. She kept her light shield on and strode into Iris's cage. She waved her hands, infusing Iris with a healing light as well. "I have the light shield around us both. Let's go," she ordered. Iris obeyed, walking through the flames as though they weren't there. When they were free, they sprinted to the sidelines to watch Noctis take on Ifrit.

Luna looked to Iris regretfully. "I, need to help Noctis. Wait here," she ordered, then entered the fray to help Noctis with whatever shielding and healing magic she could wield.

As galling as it was, Iris knew there was nothing she could do in this fight. Her skills, such as they were, did not allow her to engage a God and win. However, she could see to Lux. She imagined he would be in the Citadel. The main entrance was blocked by Ifrit right now, but there was a side one she could use.

She sprinted around to the side just to barrel into a plastic garbage can. No wait, if it were a garbage can it would have been knocked over. Instead it stood firm and was tenderly holding her shoulders.

"Miss Iris," Ravus said in relief. "Are you all right?"

It was Ravus, in all his armored glory. Iris looked up at the coldly handsome soldier. Despite her shortcomings, she didn't think of herself being a total wuss. However, she had reached her limit. She had been just about ready to kill herself, to burn herself to death, to escape Ifrit. And that knowledge, plus Ravus's gently-worded concern, broke her. She collapsed against him, burying her face into his armor-clad shoulder, and wept in reaction.

Ravus patted her back and murmured soothing assurances that she was safe now. It hardly registered what he said—all that mattered to her was his strong but surprisingly gentle presence and his calm voice.

She heard an awkward throat clearing from behind her. Ravus looked up to whoever was standing behind her with an apologetic yet defiant glance on his face. Iris turned around to see Gladio standing there, staring at them with a mix of confusion and concern. Prompto was there too, looking at the pair of them in shocked fascination.

Iris suddenly remembered that she was clinging to Ravus Nox Fleuret—former Imperial Commander and Prince of Tenebrae—and she had just gotten snot on his armor. She backed off quickly, almost tripping over herself to get some distance. At least the embarrassment dulled her shock.

"Are you ok, Iris," Gladio asked sharply.

"Luna and Noctis are in the courtyard with Ifrit. They need help," she said, breathlessly. Then it registered that while Ravus, Gladio, Prompto, and Cor were here, Ardyn, Aranea, and Ignis were unaccounted for.

"Where are Ignis, Aranea, and Ardyn," she demanded sharply.

"Ignis went to look for them," Cor said. "Now tell us, are you hurt," he demanded, rephrasing the same question the others had asked.

"I'm fine. Get to the courtyard," she ordered.

Ravus was studying her intently, looking for any bruises or wounds he would need to avenge. After the debacle of throwing herself into his arms, Iris couldn't meet his eyes.

Cor was more prosaic. He gave her the once-over a solider gives his wounded cadets and judged her to be fine.

"You sure you're ok Iri—" Gladio began, just to be cut off by Cor.

"You heard the lady. Let's go," was all he said.

Gladio gave her a long look, making extra sure she was ok, gave a suspicious glance to Ravus, then sprinted off after Cor. Prompto followed after like an obedient puppy.

Iris began running towards the Citadel, only to stop dead when she felt a strong arm around her waist, pulling her back against a strong form. So much for her trying to keep her distance from Ravus, she thought. Just as she had thrown herself into his arms, he was doing something similar to her himself. She flushed with embarrassment.

"Where are you going," Ravus demanded.

"I'm finding Lux. Go help your sister," she demanded in turn, doing her best to hide any of her awkwardness at being clasped against him.

Ravus's arm tightened for a moment, making her all too aware of his strength. "It's too dangerous here. I cannot in good conscience leave you here alone. I shall escort you to the evacuation area."

"Are you crazy? You should be helping your sister," she exclaimed.

"I shall do so presently, once you are dealt with. Come on," he said, switching his grip to link his arm with hers as though he were a chivalrous knight escorting his lady fair over a puddle.

An ominous thud from the courtyard area temporarily distracted him, causing him to loosen his grip for a moment. That was all Iris needed. She broke free of his grasp and started running down the nearest alley. Ravus wasn't used to females eschewing his protection, especially one who had taken it of her own accord just a few short minutes ago. It took him a costly few seconds to register what had just happened, and by then he had lost track of her.

"Goddamned fool," he blustered out. Every chivalrous instinct he had pushed him to find her. She should not be alone right now. He had just seen her broken and vulnerable, and he never wanted to see it again. He was a noble knight—and in his experience women were to be protected, not put into harm's way. Yes, he told himself. It wasn't that he was worried about her specifically—it just went against his code of honor. It would be the same for any woman. But then, he hadn't been disturbed about Aranea being off on her own…

However, that thud from the courtyard was indeed ominous. While he had faith that Noctis, Prompto, Gladio, and Cor could hold their own, the fact remained that Luna was out there. He knew where she was right now, not Iris. With a regretful glance back toward where Iris may have gone, he made his way back to the fray. The sooner he could vanquish Ifrit the sooner he could find Iris and take her to task for her rashness.


	34. Chapter 34: Misfit Father

**Hi Everyone! Greetings from the middle of the Atlantic Ocean (cruising to Bermuda at the moment). I've got time to chill in front of the Internet, so I can post another chapter! Not sure if I will have time write on my vacation-if I do that means I'm bored ;) but I've got a bit more ready to go. Anyway, here goes and thanks as always!**

* * *

Aranea was under attack. She was roused from a sound sleep by a foe touching her face. At least that was what her fighter's instinct told her. She responded by lurching up, sweeping forward with all her weight, and pinning the enemy beneath her. Her still groggy arm was fumbling for her lance when her attacker defended himself—grabbing both of her wrists in a tight, unbreakable grip and pulling her hard against him so she could not use her legs to kick out either. And she knew it was a "he". She could feel the hard wall of his chest against hers, the smooth, effortless strength of his arms as he held her.

"It's me, Aranea," the achingly familiar cultured voice spoke. It was Ignis. But, what was he doing in her bedroom? Was she still dreaming? She had dreamt about Ignis in her room before, giving her a flush of embarrassment at the memory. Was this another dream? Then she saw the black marble floor beneath them, and memory sliced back.

"What the hell happened," she demanded to Ignis, since he seemed to be there.

Ignis just stared up at her quizzically. She recalled that this was in fact real, and she was flush against him, her full length against his. And he was even more disheveled than before. Evidently the heat of the city had gotten to him. Even someone as modest as he had decided to undo a couple of buttons of his dark silk shirt to keep cool, exposing more of his bare torso than she had ever seen. His normally slicked-back hair had flopped over his face rakishly. And all of it was damned attractive.

Something of what she was feeling must have shown in her face—his eyes, visible through his askew glasses, darkened with intensity. Ok. This was more than flesh and blood could stand. Without even really thinking, her eyes fluttered closed and her head descended to his to give him as much of a kiss as she knew how to make.

"So you two finally figured it out," a cool voice drawled mockingly from across the room, interrupting her move and returning her to sanity with a jolt. Ardyn. He had sleep spelled her and killed Lux, and now had the audacity to mock her? She lurched up, startled, just to see Ardyn sitting on the bottom step of the throne platform, the frail young boy lying on the floor at his feet.

Ignis rose from the floor with more grace. "Explain yourself Ardyn," Ignis demanded coolly.

"You can see what he's done," Aranea shrieked out. "He's—killed Lux!" She grabbed her lance at last and surged forward, ready to avenge him.

Ardyn warped up the stairs to the throne and stared down at her with interest.

"Stay still, you slippery bastard," she shouted, and made to run up the stairs to finish him off.

"Lux is breathing, Aranea," Ignis said coolly, jolting her out of her rage and grief for a moment. She glanced sharply his way to see Ignis kneeling at the boy's side, taking his pulse. She stared at them both in disbelief. Ignis looked up to Ardyn. "Did you sleep spell him too," he asked, blistering contempt in his voice obvious.

"Oh no," Ardyn said. "He is actually, unconscious." He held up his hands placatingly as Aranea prepared to lunge. "That tends to happen when one's daemons have been expunged," he continued.

Aranea stopped moving, and just stared up at him. "What did you do to him? Why isn't he a daemon anymore," she demanded.

"I healed him," Ardyn replied smugly. "Remember, in Lucis lived a savior who could heal the afflicted. His body would become host to myriad daemons, that countless lives be spared."

Aranea looked at him blankly. He was nonplussed for a moment. "Oh, so you have never heard the story then? However, Iggy has. Perhaps you should ask him," Ardyn concluded mockingly.

"You, used whatever twisted healing skills you possess to absorb Lux's daemon into yourself," Ignis said. It was a statement, not a question.

Ardyn nodded in smug assent. "It is the same power that grants me the sleep spell I used on you earlier, Aranea. Really, it was the least I could do, seeing as how you, 'detained' me in the dungeon." It was as before. The words mocking, but the fury in his gaze at the memory was palpable. And now he was loose, unleashed. He could retaliate further at any time. Aranea's hands clenched on her polearm.

Even Ignis was aware of the undercurrents. He stepped forward between Aranea and Ardyn.

"Judging from your most recent behavior, Ardyn, I am giving you credit for having good intentions in expunging the daemons from Lux," he said coolly in an attempt to return focus to what mattered. "In this, both you and Aranea are in agreement regarding Lux's best interests. We should be focused on Lux right now," he concluded briskly.

Ardyn's customary oily indifference was back. He chuckled. "Indeed. Like 'good parents' we must tend to _our_ child."

Aranea hissed at that, earning a sharp look from Ignis. "Why the hell did you save him," she demanded. "What's in it for you?"

Ignis raked his hand through his hair in frustration. Ardyn of all people seemed to be willing to set aside differences and return to the point, albeit in a way that made Ignis want to punch his smug face in. However Aranea was having none of it.

"That's enough," Aranea, he said coldly to get her to stop antagonizing Ardyn. She glanced at him surprised, momentarily backing down, but Ardyn didn't know when to shut up.

"Oh, you don't think I did it to save my only son," he oozed mockingly.

"Not a chance in hell," she returned. "Why did you 'really' do it?"

Ardyn sighed theatrically. "You really do know me so well, don't you Aranea? Are you certain you don't want to leave Ignis here and 'ally' yourself with me?"

He felt the chill wind from her lance as it sliced off a bit of his hair before impaling the throne chair behind him. For want of less of an inch he'd be dead.

Aranea was staring at him in hatred. "You ever say something like that again and next time I won't miss," she said coldly.

He couldn't be sure if she had missed on purpose or if this was a way to smoothly cover an accidental miss. Either way, she had earned his respect. Not enough to tell her the whole truth though. He could give her part of it though.

"Ifrit wants dark forces to control the crystal. Powers like that are unchecked, without conscience, and will destroy everything, just as Ifrit wants. A 'daemon' form of Lux would be the perfect pawn for him. Ifrit does not deserve that pawn. And besides, do you really think I would allow a mere stripling to have the powers of darkness? They are mine and mine alone. I simply, took them back."

Aranea evidently believed him. Her look of dislike did not abate, but understanding took over. Any reply she would have made was interrupted by Lux stirring. She rushed to his side.

Ignis glanced back at Ardyn. "Your dislike of Ifrit must be genuine if you were willing to heal a boy for it. While I am grateful for your assistance, I think it's fair to warn you that if you are planning anything after Ifrit's demise, we will be forced to stop you. And if you ever treat Aranea like you just did again, I will kill you myself," he added, cold implacability in his voice.

Ardyn nodded in understanding. "I would think much less of you if you didn't, dear boy," was all he said.

* * *

With Ignis and Aranea hovering over the boy, consoling him and calming him, Ardyn meandered to the crystal. It flickered with a dark glow. It would respond to him if he asked it to. He could destroy what he wanted if he asked it to do it for him. He could return endless night to the world if he wanted to. It was here in his hands, he had the powers of darkness, but he could not destroy the damned thing.

Even in his prime when all had been in darkness, Ardyn could not do it on his own. He needed Noctis and his pesky powers of light to help him, and he knew that fool wouldn't help. He had sacrificed his life once. He would not do it again. And no matter how much Ardyn prodded or manipulated him to, it would not work. If he tried, all that would happen was Noctis would fight him again. He would never team up with him to go on a suicide mission to destroy the crystal.

He glanced back to Aranea and Ignis. They now had no illusions as to who he really was. How dare they think he had had altruistic motives in healing Lux, that frail boy who had no business having daemons in him at all. The reasons Ardyn had stated were all that drove him. Or so he told himself.

The only time he had ever really interacted with children was in his days as a healer. He had been forced to speak to them, to heal them, to endure their insipid confusion and the cloying gratitude of their parents. He hadn't wanted any of it. All he wanted was to revel in his victory against the daemons and in the additional dark powers he had just been granted.

Since his "rejection", he had not interacted with children much. Most parents hustled their kids away from him as though he were something, "unnatural". On the whole, he found children to be an inconvenience. Naïve, immature, they were not worth his time even as pawns.

However, that didn't mean he wanted them to endure torture. He had never expected Verstael to go so far with his experiments that he would taint infants to achieve his goals. When Ardyn had given him the magitek knowledge, he had never thought it would end with infant clones infused with daemons, not to mention ending with Ardyn and Aranea's unknown child. The first time Ardyn had visited the lab he had been so revolted (on the inside anyway), that he had instinctively rescued the first infant he had seen. How hilariously ironic that it had ended up being Prompto.

Ardyn had never gone back to the lab again. He couldn't afford that squeamish weakness again. He had only gone back when Prompto was taken there, to see if he would remember, to see how the clone, grown up away from the lab, would react. Plus, it was poetic justice to see Prompto take down Verstael—the very fiend who had created him, who had corrupted Ardyn's ideas in a way even he wasn't capable of. Of course it was not like he could completely let Prompto off scot free for it, but it was, entertaining anyway.

Seeing Lux like that, twisted into the form of a daemon, had filled him with the same revulsion. And knowing that this kid had his genes had filled him with, almost, a biological imperative to return the boy's humanity. To have him live on as a human, as though who Ardyn had once been would live on in the boy. He shook his head. He had done so much more as a monster than he ever had as a man. To even think of lamenting his "lost" humanity was the basest idiocy. He just, wanted Lux to have a choice. If he wanted to become a monster himself someday, so be it. He wanted it to be his choice though, not Ifrit's forcing him into it.

He sensed eyes on him and turned. It was the boy, staring at him in rapt attention, as though he looked familiar to him.

"Are you, the man on the Chocobo," Lux asked him, falteringly.

Ardyn had no clue what he was talking about. "Alas, I am not too keen on the creatures I'm afraid," he drawled, doing his utmost to conceal how flustered he was.

"You, you saved me," Lux said. "It was dark—I was being pulled down, but then you showed up to bring me back," he said, words tripping all over themselves to make himself understood.

Ardyn smirked, but more gently than usual. "The fact that you have memories from while you were a daemon is admirable," he commented. "It is rare for someone to keep their humanity when the daemon blight has taken over." It was also because he was Ardyn's offspring that he could do this, but he wasn't about to say that.

"Who are you," the kid asked.

Ardyn's gaze met Aranea's for a moment. She was regarding him warily. Should he reveal the truth, or not? While he loved rubbing it in Aranea's face for some perverse reason, he was curiously wary about revealing it to Lux himself. The kid didn't need to know that a monster like him was his flesh and blood. "Oh I'm just a man of no consequence," he said coolly.

Lux studied him. Ardyn got the unnerving impression that he knew the truth anyway. "Thank you," was all Lux said. Then he returned to Aranea's side.

"Ignis, Aranea! I'm so glad I found you," a breathless female voice called from the doorway of the throne room. Everyone, even Lux, turned to see who spoke.

"Miss Iris," Lux exclaimed, and rushed to her. Iris gave him a hearty hug. "I'm so glad you're safe," she said. "We've got to get out of here. Ifrit is outside and-"

"Noct is with him isn't he," Ignis ground out coldly.

Iris nodded, then glanced uneasily at Lux. His face had paled at the mention of Ifrit's name, and it seemed like he would faint again.

Aranea caught the movement and put her arm around him. "It's ok Lux," she said bracingly. "I won't let Ifrit hurt you. In fact, we will all go out there and make sure of it." She glanced over to Iris. "Would you mind staying with Lux while we take care of this," she asked.

"You've got it," she said. "Come on, Lux," she said, taking his hand gently and leading him out of the room.

Ignis glanced at Ardyn, a hard question in his gaze. "I shall assist you," Ardyn replied. "Remember, I detest Ifrit as much as you do."

* * *

 **So...I had Ardyn be the "spy" who helped baby Prompto. Hope you don't think this is too out of character for him-I think it would explain why he trolled Prompto so much in Episode Prompto, which is why I'm going with it. Till next time everyone and Bermuda shorts and souvenirs to all my readers (imaginary alas, but we can all pretend)!**


	35. Chapter 35: Fiery Showdown

**Greetings everyone! Still cruising, but just about home. Was going to wait till I got home to post, but decided I would do it now while I've got nothing else going on :-) I was able to write a bit more while on the cruise-I still managed to do plenty of non-writing fun stuff too ;-) So I should hopefully be able to keep on my present posting pace. Anyways, here goes and thanks as always!**

* * *

They definitely had a fight on their hands, Ravus realized when he arrived at the courtyard. The thud he had heard was one of the monolithic statues looming over the Citadel walls crashing down into the courtyard. It was uncertain whether Ifrit had done it, or if Noctis had managed to do it himself in the fray.

Only fools rushed in, Ravus thought. He would need to observe for a bit to see where he could best benefit the team. Although to do so rankled. He wanted to leap in and castrate Ifrit for all he had done to Iris and Luna. And the faster he could kill him, the sooner Luna and Iris would be safe. However, he would leave it to brash and rash Gladio to run in and hack away at the fire God. Since Ignis was MIA, it fell to Ravus to think things through.

To his relief he saw Luna, seemingly unharmed, standing on the sidelines. He saw healing light coming from her fingers to heal and shield the warriors. Prompto had evidently been ordered to guard her. He always managed to stay between her and Ifrit, and would take potshots if Ifrit even looked her way. While he felt a rush of gratitude to the guy, it didn't mean that he trusted him to protect her alone.

However, Noctis was doing a fine job though. Evidently he figured the best defense was a good offense. He was giving Ifrit no quarter—matching him blow for blow, taking to the air when Ifrit tried to use it against him. However even with the five of them, they were not doing much against Ifrit. He was countering with largely equal strength with a viciousness to match. Ravus supposed that was what happened when one engaged a God, but rationalizing it didn't make it any better. They needed a plan.

"Do you really think you can defeat me, Hero of Light," Ifrit taunted Noctis after a blow that forced Noctis back. "I am stronger than I was last time. I will win."

"I'm stronger than I was last time too," Noctis said with smoldering intensity. "And I have my friends here."

"Friends," Ifrit sneered. "You may have the big sword guy and the little gunman, but I don't see your strategist. You have less to work with than you did last time," Ifrit gloated.

"He has me," Cor cut in, impaling Ifrit's foot with his sword, pinning it to the street.

Ifrit roared in rage and then, heedless of the pain, reached down and ripped the sword out of his foot like it was a petty splinter. Then he tossed the sword viciously aside, making Cor have to run a block away to retrieve it.

"An inferior copy of, Gladio is it, is not an improvement, especially since I have already killed him once," Ifrit taunted, then flung a fireball down the street, aiming to incinerate Cor before he reached his sword. It was blocked by a light shield. The bright light absorbed the flames then shattered into glowing molten glass, covering the ground like sparks before petering out into nothingness.

"He has me too," Luna said coldly, breathing slightly more heavily from the effort of shielding.

Ifrit snorted derisively. "You are nothing but a weak woman. You can't fight. All you can do is heal. And even that ability is finite."

Luna bit her lip. She knew full well that her light powers were being drained at a rapid rate. She couldn't maintain the present pace forever, but she was damned if she would admit it. She would protect them all until she dropped.

"That's my wife you are talking about, asshole," Noctis interjected, warping in for another blow, only to be swiped away like a gnat.

That gave Ravus the opening he needed. He wouldn't bother with words. While Ifrit was focused on Noctis, Ravus quickly and silently rushed behind him, leapt up as high as he could, and stabbed him with all his might. All Ravus could achieve was getting him on the back of his hip, but it was enough. Ifrit screamed then whipped around sharply to face the new foe. Ravus had already landed safely in a graceful crouch a few feet away. He had landed the first hit.

Ifrit was forced to turn again as Noctis, Cor, and Gladio closed in from his other side. Prompto was taking aim with what appeared to be a rocket launcher. Surrounded, Ifrit was actually forced back. The five of them closed the circle, swords drawn, ready to impale him from all sides. They were ready to see if four swords stuck in his feet would keep him still enough for Prompto to blow his head off.

However, Ifrit wasn't done. He launched two fireballs, one aiming for Ravus and one aiming for the row of statues above. Luna couldn't block both, and Ravus was too far away from the others for her to be able to shield everyone. Who should she save, she thought in desperation. The fireball hit another statue, causing it to plummet down towards Noctis, Prompto, Cor, and Gladio. It would kill all of them at once if it hit. She made her choice, shielding them, but watching Ravus in horror. The fireball hit him dead on.

His screams were horrific as his armor turned to molten liquid plastic, molding to every contour of his body and leaving burning agony in his wake. Ifrit glanced spitefully at Luna. "You're the perfect little Oracle, aren't you," he mocked. "Such a savior of the world! But you still can't be in two places at once. And now your brother is literally, toast." So saying, he rose his flaming foot, ready to crush Ravus like the pathetic insect Ifrit thought he was.

Luna wasn't torn now. She ran to Ravus and hovered over him, as she had Noctis in Altissia ten years ago. Ifrit's foot met her crystal shield. She gritted her teeth in sheer will to keep the shield up amid the strength of his blow. With the sudden resistance on his leading foot, Ifrit's back leg was vulnerable. And that is where the rest focused their attack. They converged at once at his exposed leg, slicing, stabbing, shooting.

In their greed for blows, they didn't think it through. With the sudden incapacitation of his back leg, Ifrit had nothing to take his weight. He pitched forward, full weight on Luna's shield. She tensed every muscle in her body to keep the shield up, but she knew it was impossible. She saw the hairline fractures forming and spreading and knew it wouldn't hold. She and Ravus were about to be crushed by a flaming God.

* * *

The cracks in Luna's shield were spreading. Noctis warped her way, but even he couldn't get through the shield to get her and Ravus out. She'd have to break it to give him access, but then there would be nothing to protect them from Ifrit's full weight. Was Noctis fast enough to get them out in the split second between the shield breaking and Ifrit falling? If it were just one of them, she'd trust him completely, but not two.

She sighed in despair. She knew how it had to be. Once again she was forced to sacrifice herself for someone she loved.

"I will break the shield Noctis," she said desperately. "When I do, grab Ravus."

Noctis looked at her in horror. "Do you really think after all this I will do something like that, or let you do it," he replied brokenly. "Goddamn it! I will get you both out!"

"Noble sentiment, dear boy, but I wouldn't make promises you can't keep," Ardyn drawled from somewhere behind Luna. She glanced back, sharply, just for a shard of her shield to break off from sudden lack of focus.

"Aranea and I will dislodge Ifrit," Ignis spoke up briskly from behind her as well—he and Ardyn must be together, she realized. "Gladio, Prompto, Cor, help us will you?"

"Did you need to ask," Gladio replied briskly, leading the group to knock Ifrit down like a giant boulder.

Noctis looked to Ardyn. "Grab Ravus. I will grab Luna," he said sharply, fully expecting Ardyn to obey. Luna glanced to Noctis in disbelief. How could he trust him? She opened her mouth to say something, but Noctis cut in. "Luna, drop the shield now!"

There was something in his voice that compelled her to obey. She let go, dimly watching the shield shatter like a broken mirror. Ignis and company were pitting all their weight and force against Ifrit to attempt to knock him sideways. She felt the woosh of air as Noctis grabbed her in his arms and warped her to safety.

"I told you this armor would be the death of you," she heard Ardyn drawl as he, believe it or not, warped her brother to safety as Noctis had her.

Ifrit crashed to the ground with the force of a mini earthquake that temporarily unbalanced his foes. By the time they regained their balance, he was already struggling to his feet.

"I say, you are just as strong as ever, aren't you, Infernian," Ardyn taunted.

Ifrit ignored his sliced up legs, roared, and lunged towards the Machiavel who had toyed with him for ten years straight. Ardyn was temporarily helpless—Lux's healing combined with Ravus's rescue had temporarily weakened him. How galling it was to allow Ifrit to prove his mortality, was his last angry, bitter thought.

Ifrit didn't make contact. His blow was intercepted by both Noctis's sword and Aranea's polearm.

"If anyone will kill him, Ifrit, it will be me and me alone," Aranea said boldly.

Ardyn stared at his rescuers in wonder. "I am, humbled," he idly commented to Noctis. Then he fixed his gaze to Aranea. "I didn't know you cared," he said insinuatingly, just to be rewarded by her turning her back on him in disgust. He almost laughed. Didn't she realize that her reactions were half the fun? If she didn't react he wouldn't do it.

The rest were regrouping, ready to provide backup against Ifrit. Luna was on the sidelines, using her healing light on Ravus. After all the effort with the shield, it was evident that she didn't have much power left. Ardyn figured even if she were lucky enough to have enough power left to heal her brother, there would be nothing left for the others. They were out a healer. And his healing skills left something to be desired in this case. Unless his allies suddenly became daemons.

It was obvious that Ifrit was weakening. His movements were slower, more cumbersome. However, they were all weakening too. In addition to injured Ravus and nearly drained Luna, the rest of the warriors were tiring. Their battle against his flame army, and daemon Lux had taken their toll.

Ignis was never one to shy away from the reality: they just weren't doing enough damage, and in their present condition, there was no way they could take Ifrit down. However, giving up was unthinkable. They had to take him down or die trying.

* * *

"I, have to see what is going on," Lux told his companion decisively.

"I know," Iris said sadly. "So do I. But, we would just be in the way."

Lux looked down to his shoes. "Yeah. I guess. But, what if we, stood on the sidelines and watched?"

"There are no sidelines in a battle like this, Lux," Iris said firmly. "If we go down there, we are part of it."

Lux's shoulders slumped, but then he straightened, a bold look of decisiveness on his face. "I owe Ifrit for what he did to me," he stated. "I don't know what I can do, but I will fight with them." And before Iris could stop him, he strode forward, towards the elevators.

"Wait, Lux," she called out, desperate to stop him.

"Sorry Iris," he said over his shoulder. "I will stop him, for both of us." The elevator clanged, and he entered, as regal as the king he once thought he was.

Iris watched the departing elevator and sighed. She didn't want to wait this one out either. She had to see what happened, regardless. And she couldn't let Lux out there on his own. With a sinking feeling that she was making a dire mistake, she summoned another elevator and made her way back to the streets.

* * *

Ifrit was desperate, and desperation turned to spite. Before the united army against him could make a move, he abruptly retreated. Before they could decipher what he was planning, he charged a fire attack and launched it straight at the Citadel. Ignis and Aranea could only watch in horror as the building where Lux and Iris were taking shelter was struck dead on. The resulting fire slammed into one of the towers, melting the glass windows and rapidly spreading.

Noctis watched it, face hard as he tried to remember what had been in those rooms and what was now burning. Ardyn watched with seemingly detached interest. However, Luna could see the burning fury in his gaze, directed at Ifrit. She felt a chill. Ifrit had made a powerful enemy.

Lux and Iris were trapped inside, Aranea realized in horror. And there was nothing she could do about it. She staggered forward to Ignis, needing comfort, support, something to keep the searing pain and grief away. He grabbed her and held her close, needing the comfort she could provide as well. For the moment it was just the two of them, lost in their pain, wanting to give solace, but not knowing what they could provide.

Ignis glanced over her shoulder, and couldn't help sighing in relief. Lux ran out of the building, followed closely by Iris. Aranea heard the sigh and looked where he was looking. Tears of relief sprung to her eyes that she rapidly tried to conceal. She was about to make her way over to them when Ifrit moved to attack again. Lux stared at the group, wide-eyed.

Ifrit glanced to the newcomers, and did a double-take when he saw Lux.

"You failure," he ground out. "All I wanted from you was to use your dark powers on the crystal. And even that, you couldn't do. You motherfucking weakling!"

Lux stared back, appalled.

"That comment was rather in poor taste seeing as his mother is right here," Ardyn drawled contemptuously. He stared back at Ifrit, a challenge in his gaze. He was ready for Ifrit's wrath now. He fingered his sword idly, waiting for the moment to strike. He wouldn't lunge, oh no. He would make Ifrit come to him.

Iris had to ruin it. "What a _strong_ man you are Ifrit," she spat out to him. "Bullying a young boy, touching me against my will; wanting me and Luna to fill your harem."

She ignored the shocked and appalled glances that everyone, even Ardyn, bestowed upon her. "Face it, asshole," she continued. "You are nothing but a weak bully who takes pleasure in abusing anyone you deem weaker than you. And pricks like you always get yours."

Ifrit temporarily ignored the others, focusing his hate-filled gaze at Iris. "Look around you," he said, coldly, implacably. "Your devoted protectors are wavering. They are strong, I must admit. However, they are no match for me. And neither are you. You will watch as I strike them all down, one by one. And then, when just you are left, I will ravage you, surrounded by the corpses of all of those you care about."

Cor, Gladio, and Noctis led the charge. They lunged forward with renewed energy to strike down this fiend who had just threatened and degraded one of their own. Aranea watched in satisfaction as her jump attack split Ifrit's corrupted lips, causing him to drool a trickle of lava—evidently his version of blood.

Their temporary second wind couldn't last though. Ifrit was toying with them now, blocking every attack with a mocking flick, wearing them down steadily. Ignis knew they had nothing left. Ravus was still unconscious, Luna was drained, everyone else was exhausted. It was ironic—even with the addition of Cor, Luna, Ravus, and Ardyn to their team, they were unable to take Ifrit down this time.

However, even as Ignis thought it, he knew why. The first time they had had nothing to lose. Everything had been taken from them, and they were fighting tooth and nail for whatever slivers were left. Now, they had had hope. They had been brought back from the dead to a world of light. They suddenly had something to lose, and that had made them too cautious.

Noctis evidently thought the same thing about their chances. He was standing beside Luna, her hand grasped in his as they watched Ifrit stride forward, now ready and eager to kill them. Noctis could only stare at Luna in despair and apology. It was just like last time, he knew it. He would be unable to save her, just like in Altissia.

Ardyn was surveying Ifrit with the same mocking superciliousness he always possessed, as though he knew himself to be better than Ifrit. Oh, it wouldn't stave off the inevitable. However, at least he would die with the smug satisfaction of being superior to the entity that killed him. He didn't care about death, when all was said and done. His only regret was not taking Ifrit and the crystal with him. He tamped down the bitterness at that, and replaced it with an indifferent shrug. It was just the cards he was dealt, and sometimes you had to lose a few.

Gladio, Cor, and Prompto congregated to surround Iris. They would give their lives shielding her. However, given their present condition, it was just delaying the inevitable. Cor's face was twisted in despair. He knew they could not leave Iris alone against Ifrit. Cor's last act on this star would have to be to, take her with them. And that knowledge made him sick. He couldn't meet Gladio's eyes. He wouldn't understand, and Cor never wanted him to. As Gladio's mentor, it was his burden, his responsibility to do it.

Ignis glanced to Aranea, standing close beside Lux to protect him. Ignis would give everything he had if Aranea and Lux could get out of here. If they could run, and live. However, he knew Aranea never would. She would fight to the end, as he would. And that was one of the many reasons why Ignis loved her. Her eyes met his, and he saw that same emotion in hers as well. Screw it, Ignis thought with a flash of defiance. He wasn't going to die without having kissed her. He didn't care that it was in the middle of a battle, and that it would leave him wide open for Ifrit's attack. He strode forward, intentions obvious in the heat of his gaze. Aranea stared back rapt. In that desperate moment, she wanted anything he could give her.

They would all enter eternity, some of them again. And this time it would be forever.

* * *

 **And with that, I will leave it here ;-) The end. Or is it? Haha. Till next time guys and gals!**


	36. Chapter 36: Flames and Steam

**Greetings everyone! I felt bad for leaving a major cliffhanger last chapter, so here's more. This story will be going on for awhile longer (no ending planned yet and I'm having so much fun having characters who never interacted in the game interact now that I can't bear to have it come to an end). Hope you still like and keep with it. Okey dokey. Here we go and thanks for reading!**

* * *

The rain didn't register at first. The warriors just figured that it had started raining and thought nothing of it. However, one by one they came to the realization that rain under the circumstances was quite unusual. Even Ifrit was caught off guard. He stiffened, then looked down the street behind them.

Ignis had just taken Aranea in his arms, still unkissed, when realization set in. And it was enough to break them apart, confused. Noctis and his allies's curiosity got the better of them. They turned to see what Ifrit was staring at. None were prepared for the water-bound dragon slithering down the street with deadly speed, ready to hurl herself at Ifrit.

"Leviathan," Luna breathed.

The Hydrean ignored her, and indeed all the humans. She couldn't care less about them. She swept forward like a tidal wave, ready to confront Ifrit. If the humans were in her way, that was just too bad. The warriors saw the danger and leapt aside as the water encroached. If their reactions were any slower they would have been drowned.

She splashed to a stop within striking distance of Ifrit. "I would say stop this, but I know you won't listen to me," Leviathan said coldly.

Ifrit stared back balefully before snarling back, "hmph. If you knew why did you waste your time saying it." He wasn't lunging though. It was evident that he doubted his abilities to take her on at the moment.

However, Leviathan didn't look to be 100 percent either. There was steam coming from vents on her side. Luna wondered if she had had some difficulties penetrating the flame barrier.

"This is your last chance, Ifrit," Leviathan said coldly. "Stop this now, or I will end you."

Ifrit laughed contemptuously. "Really! You would slay one of your own? Don't you know the world will end if you do?"

"Why do you care," she replied tartly. "The way I see it, you want to destroy it yourself anyway."

Ifrit didn't like being told things he didn't want to hear. He lunged, flaming fists aiming for the water goddess's face. She slithered aside so that the fire punches struck her side, creating holes of steam that lingered. If this fight didn't end soon, she would be turned to steam, and Luna feared for her survival, as well as their own.

Cor and Noctis looked at each other. "Do we, help her," Cor asked him, uncertainly.

Noctis looked from the divine fighters to his allies, a torn look on his face.

"She wouldn't thank us if we did," Ardyn drawled. "Besides, weren't you all about to give up like cowards before anyway? It appears Iggy and the mother of my child were," he added snidely, a twinge of jealousy in his tone if you squinted. He studiously ignored the fact that he had basically been about to give up too. Normal rules of conduct did not apply to him, in his humble opinion anyway.

Noctis sighed. "He's right," he said, resigned. "We are too drained right now to be able to do anything here."

"So what do we do, fall back," Gladio replied snidely, contempt for that idea obvious.

Ravus struggled to his feet. "I, think Gladio is right," he said, weakly. "Ifrit won't let us run at this point."

Luna may have healed him, but his armor was totally useless—riddled with holes. His arms were now totally bare—the arm pieces having broken off in the heat. He was still gripping his sword though, ready to fight if need be. "And I won't let him run," Ravus continued ruthlessly. "I will cut him to pieces, starting with his manhood, for everything he did to Iris and Luna."

Gladio looked at him suspiciously, finding his graphic intentions in response to Iris's plight unusual. It was his job to defend Iris's honor himself. However, he conceded that Ravus was also planning to avenge his own sister, so didn't press it.

However, Ardyn was right. Leviathan seemed to have no time for them. If they tried to help her she would probably just knock them aside as well. She was making it obvious that they had no place in this. She was engaging Ifrit pretty solidly though. She had wrapped her watery form around him and was squeezing like a boa constrictor. Ifrit was obviously suffering—his eyes were bulging as his life was being choked from him.

Iris watched in morbid fascination. Would this be enough? Would she kill him? She fervently hoped so. This fiend deserved to be taken down by a woman—the very beings he seemed to hate and objectify.

With a feral roar that shook the nearby buildings, Ifrit wrenched free, grabbed frantically with his flame sword, and slashed out blindly. It seemed almost sheer luck that he made contact, slicing Leviathan cleanly in half. There was a loud hiss, as though cold water had been poured on a hot pan, and Leviathan's head half slithered out of range.

However, she wasn't done. Now that she had only half of her body, she was faster, more agile. She swept forward with almost dizzying speed, ready to finish him. Ifrit must have seen his death in her watery gaze. He retreated, leaping into the sky. Before Leviathan could give chase, Ifrit slammed through the rapidly fading fire dome. Right before he disappeared, he turned his gaze again in Iris's direction. It was hard to tell from that distance, but his gaze seemed to say to Iris, "don't think this is over."

"He, ran away," Prompto said in disbelief.

"Where is he going," Noctis asked the Hydrean.

"Somewhere to heal his wounds," Leviathan spat back. "And given your inability to deal with him, I doubt you will do any better next time," she replied bitterly.

Gladio sputtered in impotent rage at the insult.

"Your confidence in us is quite heartwarming," Ardyn taunted with an edge of bitterness in his tone.

"Where would a being like that go? The Disc of Cauthess," Ignis asked sharply.

"As if Titan would allow that," Leviathan replied sarcastically. "He will keep Ifrit away from there, but there are other hot places where he can recover."

Luna looked up in horror. "He, won't go after Agneya will he," she asked.

"Not likely," Leviathan replied condescendingly. "Agneya doesn't exist to him. He will not see her as being worth his time at all."

"Hmph. If you know so much about him, why don't you track him down then? He is after all one of yours," Gladio demanded.

"I do not take orders from humans, as well you know," Leviathan snapped back.

Luna had had enough of her pettiness. "You will take orders from the Oracle and the Chosen King though," she replied, with cold, deadly implacability. It was as though she was calling in a favor that Leviathan was compelled to perform.

This stopped Leviathan mid-spate. She turned to look at the both of them.

"You do have a point, Oracle," she conceded. "However, my powers are, limited at the moment. It took all I had to extinguish the flames of this bone-dry city. I will need to replenish at the Altar of the Tidemother before I can do anything further."

Ardyn rolled his eyes. "Just as helpful as always, aren't you, Hydrean," he taunted, just to get splashed as Leviathan slashed out with what was left of her tail. He merely smirked bitterly in response.

"I _have_ assisted," Leviathan continued. "If you will notice, Noctis's kingdom is no longer in flames, and your people can escape. My intervention also saved your lives. And don't say you would have vanquished him. I would never believe you."

"Um, yo. We already did that, uh last time," Prompto piped up.

"He still came back, didn't he," Leviathan countered, causing Prompto to droop, crestfallen.

"So what happens now," Noctis demanded. "You let him run away, heal up, and return to wreak havoc?"

"No. I will help you," she said, as though granting a great favor. "Track him down, and lure him to Altissia. There is where I am most powerful, and can finish him off completely for you."

"But I thought we have an 'inability to deal with him'," Ravus countered coldly.

"You do. However, you have enough powers to draw him out and lure him to me," she replied, just as coldly.

"I'm so glad you see humans as useful pawns to you," Aranea snapped back.

Leviathan didn't even grace her with a reply. With a crash like harsh waves hitting the shore, she abruptly turned and flowed away, evidently to return to Altissia.

"What a bitch," Aranea said in indignation. "So in order for her to help us we have to traipse around looking for Ifrit then lure him to Altissia? Are we really going to do her bidding?"

"Unfortunately I don't think we have much of a choice," Noctis said. "I mean, anyone else have any ideas?"

Alas, nobody did.

"These gods sure are helpful, right Noct," Prompto piped up sarcastically.

"Dunno. They were pretty helpful against Ardyn last time," Noctis said.

Ignis looked around warily. "Where is Ardyn," he asked, voice hard.

The group looked around sharply. There was no sign of him, or of Iris.

"Wait! Come back," Lux was shouting, running down the street.

"Woah kid," Aranea said, running after him, catching up to him pretty quickly. "What's going on," she asked, as bracingly as she could, but with a tense edge to it.

"That man, took Iris," Lux ground out in horror.

"Ardyn, abducted Iris," Ignis replied in disbelief, but he was already digesting, calculating what had happened and the possible reasons why. None that came to mind were good.

"That man, is Ardyn," Lux replied in surprise, but kept his counsel, especially considering the violent response surging around him at that man's name.

"That son of a bitch," Gladio exploded. "I knew he was no goddamned good! We should have killed him when we had the chance! When I catch up with him I will rip his heart out and eat it!"

"Get in line," Ravus cut in, icy fury in his voice. "I'd like to have a go at him first. And for every hurt he has given Miss Iris, I shall return the favor, 100 fold."

Ok. Gladio had let the first one go. This comment could not be left unchallenged. "Why are you so pissed about this," he demanded. "I mean, she's _my_ sister."

Ravus looked away uncertainly for a moment then turned back, defiant. "I happen to have an interest in your sister's well-being as well. Unless you find that problematic," he concluded, a decided challenge in his voice, and in his bare, surprisingly toned, folded arms.

What he meant was clear to everyone present. Luna and Prompto gaped at him. Gladio was stunned silent.

"We'll talk about all this when we find Iris," Gladio finally said. "And make no mistake: we will," he added darkly. It was unclear if he meant they would find Iris or would have words about Ravus's intentions towards her. Either boded ill for Ardyn or Ravus, respectively.

"Ardyn won't get far," Noctis cut in coldly. "We will get Iris back and deal with him."

It didn't matter if they were weak and wounded and that Ifrit was out there. One of their own had been abducted, and they would give their all to rescue her. And, in Ignis's opinion, the path to both Ifrit and Iris would likely be identical anyway.

* * *

For knowing what they needed to do next, the weak, battle-weary party was temporarily at a loss.

"What the hell do we do now," Prompto demanded, flustered.

"We find Iris," Gladio said tersely.

"We are in agreement on that, but that still doesn't help us know where that cocksucker of an Ardyn would have taken her," Ravus cut in bitingly.

Prompto gaped like a fish, scandalized. "Your baby sister is here. Shouldn't you try to, you know, watch your language?"

Ravus shrugged. "My 'baby sister' says a lot worse when her devoted followers aren't around. Isn't that right, sister," he taunted.

"Fuck you, Ravus," Luna replied, totally straightfaced in way of response.

Prompto turned to Noctis to gauge his reaction to his "regal queen" speaking like this, only to get another indifferent shrug.

"I've heard it too, in the other reality," Noctis stated calmly. "There is something to be said for a lady in public, a potty-mouth in private," he commented with a suggestive smirk to his wife, causing her to blush.

"Whatever," Ravus cut in coldly. "Right now we need to track Ardyn and Iris down."

"Agreed," Noctis replied, back to business. Then he looked to Ignis. "I assume you have a plan, Specs," he replied with a calm assurance. He knew Ignis too well. While the others were blustering and plotting dire retribution against Ardyn, Ignis was coolly and quietly thinking of what to do next.

He was not disappointed. "Indeed," Ignis replied. "My best guess is that Ardyn is using Iris to get to Ifrit. I remember him saying once in passing that Iris could be handy as bait for him."

"He's using Iris to draw Ifrit out of hiding," Gladio cut in in horror.

"If we could trust Ardyn, and if we were in place to protect Iris, it may not be a bad idea," Ignis commented idly, only to put up his hand in placation when it appeared Gladio and Ravus were ready to attack him for even thinking that. "I'm not saying it is a good plan," he replied briskly. "However, you must admit Ifrit's reactions to her indicate he's not indifferent to her, which could be used to our advantage if we were ruthless enough to move forward with it."

"Not indifferent? I think you mean that he wants to rape and kill her," Ravus bit in with cold fury. "We all heard what he said to her, and I saw her reaction when she fled from his captivity. She was trembling in my arms for Godsake! Do you think I ever want her to go through that again?" He looked sharply to Luna. "You were in his depraved hands too. What did he do to you," he asked sharply, ready for more vengeful anger.

"He didn't treat me as badly as he did Iris," she replied. "And I gladly put up with it to keep Iris safe. I could have escaped at any time, but I didn't want to leave her alone with him."

Ravus didn't seem mollified by the response, but Gladio was, slightly. He disrupted anything Ravus would have responded with by saying, gruffly, "I am grateful for that, but it should not have been necessary".

"Ardyn is ruthless enough to do something like that," Noctis cut in calmly. "Using Iris as bait for Ifrit is right up his alley. So if we find them, we probably find Ifrit too."

Ignis nodded in agreement that Noctis caught on so quickly.

"But where is that," Aranea cut in.

"And are we strong enough to fight him right now," Cor also added, cutting to the heart of the matter.

Noctis's shoulders slumped for a moment before he rallied. "I am king. It is my job to take care of this. We will all work together, but when we find Ifrit, I will engage him on my own."

"Not happening," Cor said.

"Bullshit," Luna replied at the same time, causing her and Cor to look at each other wryly.

"We aren't arguing this now," Noctis said decisively. "For now, the priority is finding Iris."

"Ardyn knows Ifrit more than we do," Ignis said. "He also has a better idea where Ifrit would go than we do. If we all hunt in one pack, we will never find them in time."

"So, you are suggesting we split up," Gladio stated, more statement of fact than question.

"Indeed," Ignis replied coolly. "Then we can check more places at once. If one unit finds them they can keep them in sight until the others converge upon their location."

"There are like, so many ways that approach can fail," Prompto replied. "I mean, what if one of us bumps right into Ifrit, or can't keep Ardyn and Iris in sight after finding them?"

"I am open to other suggestions," Ignis replied coolly.

"It's up to you Noct," Cor said. "We can all search for them together and be as full power as we can be; but risk taking too long to find them. Or we split up as Ignis says, and be weaker individually, but have a more spread out search radius. They are of equal risk and reward if you ask me. You are king, and our leader. The decision is up to you."

Noctis looked around to the group. "I've gotta go with Ignis on this one. We split up."

"I'll go with you," Luna replied, with a pointed glance to Noctis.

He smiled in understanding and said, "I figured you would. We will head to the Disc of Cauthess. If nothing else, Titan may know something about where to look for Ifrit."

"I'll go with you too," Cor replied. "You still need a bodyguard after all."

"I'll check Lestallum," Gladio replied. "That prick always seemed to have a soft spot for that place. I wouldn't put it past that bastard to be chilling there while we do all the work."

"I bet Cindy and Holly can take us there," Prompto piped up.

"That's the idea," Gladio said. "I take it you are coming with me?"

"You know it," he replied. "Unless, Noct you need me with you?"

"Gladio needs you more," Noctis replied, just to hear a snort from Gladio and a mutter that he, "didn't _need_ anyone since he was five years old."

"I will stay and explore Insomnia," Aranea stated. "Knowing Ardyn I wouldn't put it past him to have doubled back and have hidden in plain sight. For all we know, he is watching us from the sewers right now. Lux, you can come with me. I'll keep an eye on you," she said encouragingly.

"Hmm. You do have a point there," Ignis said. "I shall accompany you two if I may," he replied.

His response fooled nobody. "As long as you remember your mission is to find Iris, that should be cool," Noctis replied coyly. "You and Aranea can make out later."

"Wha," Aranea sputtered, face turning red. "How could you say something like that," she demanded, flustered.

"Whatever our feelings are for each other, you can be sure Iris comes first," Ignis replied firmly, ignoring Aranea's searching look and Lux's confused expression.

"Hmph," Ravus said. "Since Tenebrae is not yet represented in our search, I shall check there. I will go alone."

"Just remember the rules," Gladio said. "You find anything, you report in to us. Don't go it alone."

"Of course," Ravus replied, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"We're forgetting the Vesperpool and Cape Caeum areas," Ignis replied prosaically. "Since we will be closest, Aranea, Lux, and myself will check the Cape Caeum area if we are unsuccessful here. Gladio, Prompto, since you will be closest to the Vesperpool, you go there after Lestallum if you do not find her there."

Gladio and Prompto nodded in agreement.

"What about Altissia," Prompto asked. "We are forgetting there."

"That is one place I think we can rule out," Ignis said. "Ifrit is not about to make our lives easier by going right into Leviathan's den. We stand a better chance starting elsewhere in our search."

"And with Galdin Quay gone, there is no ferry that could get them there," Cor added. "It is not practical to reach Altissia at this time. We will need to figure that out once we find Ifrit though. We need to meet him there somehow."

"With no ferry, that also means High Secretary Claustra can't help us then," Noctis replied.

Aranea nodded. "I am still uncertain about her allegiances as well," she replied. "She must have heard something of what is going on, but has yet to reach out to anyone. I am not sure if we can trust her in this case."

"Surely she would not ally with Ifrit," Luna replied, scandalized. "Even when I was in her custody, she never gave any indication that she was really 'allied' with the Empire. Her true loyalty was to her people. I doubt that has changed."

"If protecting her people means being the right hand of the devil instead of being in his path, then she may well choose that," Cor replied. "I have to agree with Aranea. Claustra is not an option right now. We will need to make her an option once Ifrit is found, but we can't force her hand just yet."

"If Titan cannot give us any insight, Luna and I will find a way there to talk to her," Noctis replied firmly. "Seeing the King of Lucis alive and well, well more or less well anyway, should count for something."

Cor nodded. "Works for me. Onwards everyone."

With the plans laid, the respected groups began their search, plotting dire retribution against Ardyn and Ifrit when they found them.

* * *

 **Just a heads up-this may be the last bit I have for a little while-still catching up on real life from vacation and have relatives coming in this weekend. Not sure if I will have enough to give out for the usual weekend run, but I do have where I want to go next swirling around in my head, so I hope to be able to have more ready to go soon. Hope you guys and gals stick with it and see you next time!**


	37. Chapter 37: Growing Family

**Hi Everyone! So I did have some more time to write and more or less keep up with the posting schedule I've been keeping myself on :-) I will stop saying I may not have time to write, since it seems that I cry wolf on that a lot. If I don't make my "normal" posting, it's likely because I didn't have time to write and will keep it at that. Anyways, thanks for the reads/feedback and let's keep this going, shall we?**

* * *

The rushes of air were the only things that registered. Iris felt the world whizzing around her, then everything suddenly stopped, giving her the barest moment to realize that her surroundings had completely changed. However, before she could get her bearings, the air rushed again, taking her somewhere else. It was like she was being, warped. She was being held by somebody behind her, and she knew, instinctively, that it wasn't by Noctis. She didn't feel, safe for one thing. The arms, while strong, were not protective, but restraining instead. She jabbed her elbow sharply back, hitting her captor in the gut. She was rewarded with an "oof", and a sudden stop.

She took advantage of the sudden stop, lurching away from her captor, and started to run. She didn't want to see who was behind her. For now, escape was all that mattered. She did not get far. A few feet later she was subjected to the edge of a rooftop. She was on the roof of one of Insomnia's high rises.

"There is no easy escape, Iris," Ardyn taunted from behind her. Evidently whatever advantage she had had from her sudden move was lost.

She turned sharply to face him. Aside from rubbing his stomach where she had struck him, as though to rub the pain away, he was his normal smug self. He was staring down at her with genuine curiosity, as though he really wondered what she would do next.

"I suppose you could jump off the building if you really don't want to be in my clutches," Ardyn taunted. "Were I Ifrit, you could certainly be forgiven for that. However, if it makes you feel any better, my clutches are a bit, softer than his. Plummeting to your death would be overkill, in my humble opinion anyway."

She stared back at him. "Soft clutches are still clutches aren't they," she countered, voice hard.

He merely shrugged. "Suit yourself. If you think my mere presence is a fate worse than death, then by all means…" he gestured to the edge with a flourish.

She stared at it. It would only be a step or two up to the ledge, then one more step to…it was the same dilemma she had had before in the flame cage. She had been ready to end her life then. Should she do it now?

"The edge, and oblivion await you, my lady," Ardyn spoke dulcetly from behind her, voice smooth, dark. Was he trying to lure her to do just that?

She turned back. "If you wanted me dead, you would have done it already, not be trying to goad me into doing it. What is your game this time, Ardyn," she sneered.

"I see you've been taking lessons from Aranea regarding interrogation techniques," Ardyn replied. "I must say, she is a bit more, compelling with it than you are."

Iris ignored him. "I'm also Gladio's sister, and I already got you in the solar plexus. Would you prefer me to strike something more vulnerable next," she returned in sheer blustering bravado that would have made Gladio proud, after his initial protective response.

Ardyn looked at her in new respect. "I can see why the Infernian hates you so much," Ardyn replied smugly.

Her blood chilled at the mere mention of his name. "Is that why you brought me here? Do you plan on, taking me to him?"

"Ardyn merely smiled back impassively. "How do you know I wasn't trying to goad you into killing yourself? I don't like getting my own hands dirty if I don't have to, you know."

"You had no problem stabbing Luna in cold blood. You could have killed me long since if that's what you wanted. I will ask you again: are you planning on taking me to Ifrit?" She tried to ask the question boldly, but to her despair she heard the panic and desperation slipping through. And she knew he knew it.

"You would be a useful bargaining chip, to get me back into Ifrit's good graces," Ardyn replied, musingly.

"You'd be a fool if you think that would work," Iris countered. "He is vengeful, pure feral instinct now. He will take the offer, and then betray you."

"You are worried about me of all people being betrayed? Will wonders never cease," Ardyn commented dryly.

Iris bit her lip to keep silent. She had already said too much.

"As it happens, I have another idea for you," Ardyn finally replied. "As the Hydrean in her 'infinite wisdom' said, Ifrit must be lured to Altissia so she can engage him with her full powers. Ifrit knows how infinitely powerful she is there, and would never be foolish enough to go there of his own accord. Unless there is certain incentive for him to do so."

Iris stiffened. "You want to use me to lure him there," she said in a statement rather than question.

Ardyn nodded.

"How is that any better than just handing me over," she demanded.

"You are forgetting your stalwart defenders already," he taunted. "Between them and the Hydrean's wrath, you will have some safeguards in place. Unfortunately, I cannot guarantee your full safety. However, with great risk comes great reward."

"Even that risk is unacceptable," she blustered out. "You have no idea what he has done to me. What he has threatened me with."

Ardyn's face turned into a parody of gentleness, so close to genuine that it gave Iris pause for the barest moment.

"I can guess," Ardyn said, infusing as much understanding and commiseration in his tones as he could.

Iris found herself explaining. "He, forced a kiss from me, and has threatened much worse. If he gets me again, he will do worse." She broke off, uncomfortable that she had revealed so much of what had happened to him of all people. Even Luna had not heard about the kiss part, and Gladio had not heard anything except the threat in battle. Why was she telling Ardyn—the very man who would use this knowledge against her? He hadn't been appointed Imperial Chancellor for nothing, she told herself. He knew how to play the game-to get what he wanted from people with a few choice words, tones, and looks.

He was staring back impassively, no condemnation, no "is that all", no rage at Ifrit or her for any of it. "Ifrit will exterminate all humans with ruthless efficiency, however he can," he finally said. "For now he has chosen to use the crystal to do it. However, that is not what he wants to do. He wants to grind all humans under his boot heel, to do every hateful act he can think of against them. Since he can't do it to all humans, he has decided to pick just one to earn his full hatred. That someone is you."

"You mean, I'm a scapegoat? A lightning rod for all his hatred against humans," Iris replied in horror.

"Indeed. I don't know what you did, but you must have annoyed him greatly," Ardyn replied, deadpan.

"Annoyed" was the understatement of the decade. "But, he can't use the crystal anymore," Iris replied. "Even if he tears me apart, humanity will still stand."

Ardyn shook his head. "What do you think I meant when I said 'for now?' He set off the Starscourge 2000 years ago in an attempt to destroy us. The prevailing theory at that time was Ifrit could be appeased and fall back. He decided to try again using the crystal. While he cannot use the crystal this time, he will come up with something else, as he did before. If nothing else, he will wait for someone else to be able to use the crystal and try to manipulate them as he attempted to do to Lux. But it may be in another 2000 years, you all will be safe, in the short term anyway." he concluded mockingly.

Iris was not appeased. "So, you're saying it's an endless cycle? That even if he tears me to ribbons, humanity would still be in danger."

"Mmm hmm," was all Ardyn said.

Iris did the math in her head, and thought out loud. "So, the only way we can stop Ifrit is to kill him, forever. And only Leviathan can do that. And she needs to do it from Altissia. And we need to get Ifrit to Altissia."

"And you are the only thing that saps his reason and stirs his lust for blood, among other things," Ardyn replied, making her feel dirty. "You are the only thing that can get him there without thinking of the consequences."

"Then, why carry me off? You could have explained this to the others. We could have worked together."

Ardyn smirked. "Do you really think your brother would have allowed it? Or Ravus Nox Fleuret? They would have been bound to stop me, and we have little time to be arguing about it. In fact, I am wasting time explaining myself now. However, I'd rather explain to you and obtain your cooperation than have to have you 'incapacitated' the whole way."

It was on the tip of Iris's tongue to ask why he thought she would ever cooperate, but she kept silent, knowing that he was right. There was no other option. And if she could be the lure to get Ifrit to Leviathan's waiting lethal fins while keeping the others out of it, then it would all be worth it. "What is it you want me to do," she finally said, never thinking for a million years that she would have to say something like that to Ardyn of all people.

Ardyn smiled in satisfaction. "Merely follow my directions without question or resistance. And in return I shall do my utmost to ensure the Infernian does not reach you. And furthermore, while you are in my custody, I shall treat you with the utmost care."

There seemed to be no way out of this, and Ardyn had given her more assurances than she expected. There was no choice.

"Ok," was all she said.

"Your hand on it," Ardyn demanded.

Iris held out her hand, hesitantly, just for Ardyn to take it in a firm clasp. "We have an accord then, Iris Amicitia," Ardyn replied smoothly. "I knew we could come to terms. And you may be sure I will hold you to your side of the bargain."

Iris merely nodded, feeling like she had made a deal with the devil.

* * *

"It stinks down here," Lux complained after noisy sniffing.

"Tell me something I don't know," Aranea countered. She never ever wanted to see a sewer again as long as she lived, but that bastard of an Ardyn was forcing her to.

Ignis was ranging ahead, scanning the ground for muddy (or worse) footprints, or marks on the walls indicating someone had come through this way. So far, there was nothing.

"Maybe we are in the wrong place," Aranea finally said in despair. "If they came this way, I think we would have seen something by now. Iris wouldn't have gone with him without a fight, and knowing her, she would have left some kind of trail."

"I believe you are right," Ignis replied. "I cannot see Iris going with him willingly."

"You don't think this, Ardyn guy, will hurt her, do you," Lux asked in horror. "I mean, he was, nice to me. He couldn't hurt her. Could he?"

Aranea didn't want to reveal her fears to Lux, but she didn't want to lie to him either. "Ardyn only helped you because it suited him. While I am glad he did, he only did it for his own agenda. I do not know if he will hurt Iris, but her being with him is not a good thing, by any means."

Lux's shoulders slumped. "If we don't find her here, what do we do next," he asked.

Aranea looked to Ignis. "I say we follow the secret passage down here to the Citadel. Then we do a brief sweep of the Citadel and see if we see any sign of him. He'd be the type to take Iris back to the throne room and then just sit there laughing at us."

"We could try that," Ignis replied. "However, Ifrit did damage quite a bit of the Citadel. It may be too dangerous to enter."

"Was the throne room in the wing Ifrit messed with," she asked.

Ignis pondered a moment. "No. That was the Domestic Ministers's wing if I'm not mistaken," he said. "As you know the building is 'Y' shaped. One wing is the Domestic Ministers's wing, the second is the Defense wing, and the third is the Royal wing. The throne room is in the Royal wing," Ignis explained.

"Were your quarters in the Defense wing," Aranea asked in genuine curiosity.

"Technically, yes. However, I spent most of my time in the Royal wing. Noct actually let me use the Royal kitchen to perfect my new recipes. Plus sleeping on one of the Royal wing sofas was a more convenient location from which to defend Noct from any threats than sleeping in the Defense wing was."

Aranea merely smirked. She figured the only 'defending' Ignis had had to do in the past was to crash on the nearest sofa to Noctis's quarters after carousing with him, Gladio, and Prompto late into the night. However, she kept her opinions to herself.

"So, you are Noctis's bodyguard," Lux asked him in interest.

"Well, technically I am Noct's advisor and majordomo. However, I was, am, a member of the Crownsguard, so I suppose you could say I am also a bodyguard," Ignis replied dryly.

Lux stared at Ignis in fascination. "That is so cool! Do you like, know how to snap necks and nonchalantly walk away from an explosion like a total badass," Lux asked in grisly fascination.

Aranea looked to Lux in surprise. "You've seen action movies," she asked in amusement.

"Yeah! I found a pile of DVD's in the tv room. That's how I spent my time when I wasn't studying," Lux replied.

"I, trust it was just action films you found and watched," Ignis asked sharply.

Lux looked totally blank. "Yeah. I mean, what else should there have been?"

Ignis shrugged dismissively. "No matter," was all he said.

Luckily Lux did not press it.

Aranea did though, under her breath after Lux wandered ahead a bit, humming to himself to the point where it would be hard for him to overhear them.

"Don't tell me you have a collection of sleazy smut he could have found," she whispered to Ignis in disgust.

"Of course I don't," he whispered back defensively. "However, other Citadel residents do."

"Gladio," Aranea muttered, disgusted, but not surprised.

"I said 'other Citadel residents'. I did not name anyone specific," Ignis replied, refusing to rat out the perp no matter how much Aranea pestered.

"With how protective you are about it, I'm beginning to think it is you," she finally taunted.

Ignis sighed. "That is not my thing."

"Sure it isn't," Aranea said, still taunting.

"I'd be inclined to show you firsthand what my 'thing' is. However, now is not the time and place," Ignis replied, a dark velvet suggestion in his tone.

As a way to end an argument, it was an effective one. Aranea dropped the subject immediately, doing her best to conceal a (probably) full body blush.

They reached the gap to the torture room.

Ignis looked up at the hole that was too tall to jump through. "Aranea, can I ask you to give me a boost," he asked calmly.

In way of response, she cupped her hands for him to place one foot in. With a push, she was able to get him just high enough to grab the edge of the hole. With arm strength she didn't realize he had, he pulled himself in, then was leaning back through the gap to give her and Lux a hand.

"Move aside. I've got this," Aranea said, then turned to Lux. "I can get you up there if you hold onto me," she said. "Or you can let Ignis pull you up if you prefer."

"I'll go with you, if that's ok," Lux replied.

"Ok," Aranea replied, putting her arms around him in a tight hold, then doing a dragoon leap up. She landed with the same grace as she had before, Lux still securely in her arms.

"Are you allright," Ignis asked Lux in concern.

"Yeah," Lux squeaked, evidently frightened by the fast jump but not wanting to admit it. Then he was looking around at the torture chamber.

"I don't like this room," was all he said.

"Me neither," Aranea said. "Let's go."

The way to the throne room led them through the portrait gallery. Lux stopped at the picture of Ardyn on the chocobo.

"Is it, true what Ifrit said? Is he, my dad," Lux asked hesitantly, pointing at the portrait.

Aranea sighed. Lux really was asking some difficult questions today. Again, she didn't want to lie to him. But could she really tell him the truth—that he was part daemon, part Ardyn, part her; and was grown in a test tube? She couldn't tell a kid a thing like that. It would hurt him.

Ignis intervened.

"What exactly did Ifrit tell you," Ignis asked coolly, gently.

"He, said I was spawned from daemons, and that Ardyn is my father. He said I was fated to destroy the world. I—don't want to," he added desperately. "But I, did some bad things. I dunno. Maybe he is right. Maybe I—"

Aranea knelt down to be at his level. "Lux, whatever Ifrit told you, you are not 'fated' to do anything. Whatever choices you make, good or bad, are yours to make. Ifrit was, right in that you have some daemon and Ardyn within you. However, there is also some of me too."

Lux stared at her wide-eyed.

Aranea continued, hesitantly. "I, wish I could say you had a 'normal' childhood, with parents who watched you grow up, and protected you. But, I did not know you. Neither did Ardyn, for what it's worth. The Empire—mashed our genes together with some, well, daemons, and created you. All these years, you were alone and I did not know you existed. I, should have been there for you. I, know it's too little too late, but I am here for you now, if you want me." She stared back at him, face tight, bracing herself for she knew not what. Anger, recriminations, a daemonic breakdown. She wasn't sure.

She looked to Ignis, standing close beside her for support. He stayed silent, but she could tell he was with her, and would be there for her no matter what happened next.

"You're saying, you're my, mother," Lux replied awestruck.

This was the last thing she expected to hear, but simply shrugged. "In short, yes," she finally said. "And, Ardyn is your father." There, despite the revulsion at the thought, she had admitted it. It was too complicated to say who Lux really was. All that mattered was that he had "human" parents somewhere in the mix. She would have preferred that the other 'human' parent not be Ardyn, but that was the hand she was dealt.

Lux grinned. "I have parents," he chortled with glee. "And, I'm not Noctis's son. I don't have to be a king! This is so awesome!"

Aranea laughed, part in relief, part in hysteria. "That's true," she finally said.

Even Ignis smirked. "I imagine Noct would be quite relieved to know he doesn't have a son either. He's not ready to be a father yet, I think," he said dryly.

Lux sobered. "But then, this weird Ardyn guy is my father," he said. "This picture says it's from 2000 years ago. Why does he look like the guy in the picture," he demanded.

Ignis fielded this one. "Ardyn was granted some, unique, powers from the crystal that extended his lifespan quite a bit. He is the man in this portrait. He has lived for the past 2000 years."

"Woah! So, my dad can talk to the crystal too. And is 2000 years old," Lux asked excitedly.

Ignis looked at him, uncertain of the boy's reaction. "Basically yes," he replied cautiously.

Lux thought for a moment. "He seems creepy. Can I maybe, pretend he's not my dad?" He looked to Ignis. "You seem like a cooler dad than him. Can I pretend that, you're my dad?"

Aranea and Ignis looked at each other, each with a blush on their faces. Aranea could just stare back at Ignis helplessly at Lux's artless question.

"Well, I—never thought of myself in that type of role before," Ignis replied, flustered. "However, I must admit it is flattering to be considered 'cooler' than an immortal with a connection to the crystal. I suppose if it makes you feel better to think of me in a parental role over Ardyn, I suppose it is all right," he finally added. "And for what it's worth I do have a certain 'affection' for your, er, mother, so it makes sense I suppose."

Aranea's gaze softened as she regarded Ignis. Her heart was in her eyes. Ignis had never seen her so 'feminine' before. He was sure she would hate it if he said that, but it was true. Aranea had a softer side that she had demonstrated with Lux and with him. His kiss before had been interrupted, he realized. There was a brief lull in the battle. Maybe he could…

He shook it off. Their priority was Iris. And besides, it may make Lux uncomfortable. There would be time later, he told himself. He would make sure of it. Ten years of mutual platonic affection was enough. It was time to take things to the next level. One way or another, he would make his most improper dreams with Aranea a reality.


	38. Chapter 38: Rest and Reflect

**Howdy everyone! I have a bit more ready to go, so here it is. There will be a couple chapters of "filler" I'm afraid. I figured our guys and gals needed a break from the action for a bit. Hope you don't find it too boring. Thanks as always for spending time with this story, and hope you like it!**

* * *

Much of the demand for refugee ferrying was dying down. Now that the flame dome was gone, all roads out of Insomnia were open again. The man who had taken it upon himself to ferry the refugees across the bay was just about to close up shop and do a final run out of town himself when the dark-haired woman appeared. A stooped hooded man clutched her arm.

"Oh thank goodness," the stooped man exclaimed. "I thought we had missed all the boats. I thought my daughter and I wouldn't make it."

The woman glanced at him uncertainly, then back to the ferryman.

"I'll take you across," the boatman said. "Welcome aboard."

With the man focused on driving, the loud sound of the motor drowning out most conversation, and the night obscuring their faces, Iris deemed it safe to speak.

"Was your disguise really necessary, Ardyn," she demanded.

He simply shrugged. "Your stalwart defenders are no doubt searching for you as we speak. And it is not in our favor at the moment if they catch up to us so soon. I believe travelling incognito is our best option." He supposed shapeshifting would have been better than the old put on a hood cliché, but he didn't want to waste his powers unnescessarily. And with Iris by his side, it wouldn't matter who he looked like anyway—they would still be spotted if they weren't careful. Saving his strength was necessary at this stage.

"But saying I'm your daughter…" Iris continued.

"I have a son much younger you know," Ardyn mocked.

"Shut up about that! Haven't you seen Aranea's reaction when you bring it up? She is revolted by it."

"The fact remains, Lux is related to her and myself. It is what it is," Ardyn replied philosophically. "And besides, what would you have preferred I introduce you as if not my daughter? I suppose I could have said you were my wife, but I don't think you would have liked that any better," Ardyn taunted with a raised eyebrow.

Iris's face clenched in distaste. "I'm beginning to think travelling with you was a bad idea," she replied.

"You gave me your word," Ardyn replied firmly. "I suppose you could betray it, but I would think less of you if you did," he taunted.

"As if I really care about that," Iris replied. "However, betraying my promise is something _you_ would do, and I'm better than that. I will deliver on what I promised. I keep my vows, unlike you."

"Fair enough. However, you must admit I have kept my promises to date. I have had plenty of opportunities to betray you and yours since I returned, but I have not? Despite how you all have treated me, I have still stayed true to your cause," Ardyn replied, sounding wounded.

"But what about before that," Iris replied. "You killed Luna and—"

She broke off when Ardyn firmly but gently put his hand over her mouth.

"Eavesdroppers," he whispered, with a pointed glance to the boatman.

Iris looked his way sharply. He was still piloting them to the other side of the bay and seemed to be ignoring them. However, Ardyn was right. It wouldn't do any good to draw attention to themselves right now.

"That's better," Ardyn whispered when he saw her relax. "Lambast me all you want in private—just not when there are witnesses."

They were silent the rest of the way across.

After a hearty thanks and an offer of payment (refused by the pilot), Ardyn and his cooperative captive began walking down the beach to where Ardyn said he (hopefully) still had a car parked. As he strode forward, Iris hung back a second to speak to the boatman.

"Thanks again. I'm Iris," she said with a hearty handshake.

"Nice to meet you Iris," the boatman said formally.

"If anyone asks, can you tell them you brought me across," she asked hopefully.

"Got other family members that you want to make sure know you made it out," he asked knowingly. "I sure will. You got a last name?"

"Iris should be enough. If a guy named Gladio asks, he will know who you mean."

And then she hurried to catch up to Ardyn, who evidently had not noticed the exchange, to her relief. She didn't trust Ardyn at all. While she would cooperate with him up to a point, she would put fail safes in place on her own. She had just provided one breadcrumb. She would continue to provide more.

* * *

How the hell was she so exhausted, Holly thought bitterly. She wasn't even in combat—all she had done was tap a foot pedal for a few hours, but it felt like she had run up 10,000 steps. Her legs were stiff, and she was winded. It seemed apparent that Cindy was tired too. A fire hose was pretty heavy, and Cindy had been wielding it like a boss for the past couple of hours. Now that the flame dome had disappeared, it seemed like they could take a break. Did this mean Gladio and Noctis had won? Was Insomnia safe?

Cid and Talcott guided another party of refugees across the bridge.

"It should be wide open from here," Cid rasped. "There be a refugee camp down by the Noctis Memorial Park on the bayside. Hammerhead is also a hop skip and a jump away. If you head on there, the folk will take good care of ya."

The group continued on their way with profuse thanks.

Cid leaned back against the truck. "Ooh my achin back," he groaned.

"You should take a break Paw Paw," Cindy replied firmly, climbing down stiffly from the side of the truck.

"Hmph. Easy for you to say now that the far's out," he replied, but made no move to cross the bridge again.

"I, think we got most of the people, and the way is open now," Talcott replied.

"What's going on in there," Holly asked.

"Dunno," was Talcott's answer. "The fire is gone, but I don't know what that means."

"We've gotta hope the boys are ok," Cindy replied.

As if on cue, they saw two people striding down the bridge. It was too dark to see them in great detail, but based on the silohuettes, one appeared to be buff, and the other smaller. Once they got in range of the headlights their identities were obvious.

"Gladio, Prompto," Cid chortled with glee. "Good to see ya. So did ya vanquish those foes yet?"

Holly could see Gladio's uncharacteristically slumped shoulders, and ice wrapped around her heart. Something bad had happened.

"What is it," she demanded, rushing up to him.

Gladio grunted, then gave them the lowdown.

"Paw Paw," Cindy replied, scandalized at the torrent of profanity that erupted from Cid's mouth after he heard what had happened to Iris.

"It's what we all feel though," Talcott piped up. "We need to find her. What do we do now," he asked Gladio, seeing him as their group leader.

"I was thinkin we'd start with Lestallum," he replied. "Ardyn hung out there a lot back in the day, so he may have taken Iris there."

Holly thought for a moment. "Lemme make some calls. If he's popped up there, my girls will know."

"How," Prompto replied in genuine confusion. "I mean, Lestallum is pretty big. Did you have us tabbed when we first showed up?"

"Actually yes," Holly said. "Us powerplant folk are always watching out for strangers, particularly if they are attractive ones. We had you four pegged within five minutes of you entering town."

"Even me," Gladio asked smugly.

"You were the last one we noticed," Holly added jokingly, loving the chance to put the smug bastard in his place. "But once I got a good look at you, that changed," she added with a smirk.

"I guess that explains us, but what about Ardyn," Prompto replied.

"Despite what a rotten bastard he is, he's still got something going on looks-wise. Some of my girls will notice him. If nothing else, Iris lived there a long time. She would be recognized. Let me make some calls right now."

She ran off to do just that, just to come back disappointed. "Nobody's seen them, but that doesn't mean they aren't on their way there."

"Sounds like we're off to Lestallum," Cid piped up. "Saddle up the old firecracker. We're headin west."

"If we come up dry there, the Vesperpool is also on our search list," Prompto remembered to add.

"Okey dokey," Cid replied. "Not sure how well the truck'ell do out thataway, but we'll do our best."

With that, Prompto, Gladio, Holly, Cindy, Talcott, and Cid stuffed into the beleaguered truck and made their way to Lestallum.

* * *

Iris and Ardyn made it to where Noctis and company had previously parked the rental cars before their foray into Insomnia. Only one car was left—the small generic white rental car that Ignis had driven.

"It seems that Noct has ventured off in the other one," Ardyn observed.

"How do you know it was Noctis," Iris asked.

Ardyn simply shrugged and said, "process of elimination. I mean, it's possible that one of the refugees hotwired the car to escape. However, I think the other car would also be gone in that case. And Iggy, Aranea, and Ravus would have taken this one if it were them. So based on who's left…"

"Ok ok," Iris cut in. "And his name is 'Ignis'. Only friends get to call him 'Iggy' and you are not his friend."

Ardyn put his hand to his heart. "Oh! I am wounded," he replied with a flourish. "And here I thought Ignis and I were such good friends in the afterlife. Why, he even came to me for advice and guidance."

Iris paused. She didn't think Ardyn would have made something like this up. However, for it to be true was even more disturbing.

"Speaking of hotwiring, would you kindly do the honors," Ardyn gestured to the rental car with a flourish.

"What makes you think I know how to hotwire a car," she replied defensively.

"Why, I figured with ten years of darkness and scarce resources, hotwiring a car would be a useful skill. How else did you become such a legendary huntress without transport? Unless…oh I see! Cor! He was the competant one, wasn't he? He did all the work while you just provided moral support," Ardyn taunted.

Iris hissed in fury at the insinuation that she was useless, shoved Ardyn aside, and hotwired the car with brisk efficiency. Then she stood back, arms folded, and glared at him. "I'll have you know I carried my own weight with Cor when we hunted," she replied in fury. "I'm not an incompetent idiot regardless of what you think of me."

Ardyn laughed. "Of course you aren't. Ifrit wouldn't be so fixated on you if you were. He doesn't waste his time on non-entities."

Iris stiffened at the reminder, and bitterly realized that Ardyn had just manipulated her into hotwiring a car for him.

"So do you want me to drive you around too," she snipped. "After all, that car is a stick shift, and a frail woman like me may have trouble with that," she added mockingly.

Ardyn smirked. "I don't doubt you could drive this thing to hell and back if you had a mind to. However, in deference to my present role as captor, I believe I should be the one to drive." So saying, he meandered to the passenger side, opened the door, and gestured Iris towards it. "Your chariot awaits, milady," he mocked.

She had no choice but to plop down in the car and let him drive them to wherever he was taking them next.

* * *

The Disc of Cauthess was just as Noctis remembered it. Arid, sweltering—it would make his already rank clothing sweaty and even grosser. He imagined he smelled like a toilet and unwashed human wrapped in one disgusting package. Perhaps he should have stopped at one of the hotels for a shower and a change of clothes. He looked over to Luna. He could tell she was suffering too due to their hygiene situation.

"There is the Cauthess rest stop up ahead," Noctis stated. "I think we should clean up there before continuing on."

Luna looked to him in surprise that he was trying to hold up the journey. "I doubt Titan will care if we show up looking like hags," she replied firmly.

"Or smelling even worse," Cor added.

"That's not why I'm doing it," Noctis declared. "We will be of no use to anyone if we get sick from exposure to the filth and garbage we have already dealt with. The least we can do is take an hour or so to clean up."

Cor glanced at him in amusement. "You sounded just like Iggy just now. It's your mission. We will follow your lead," Cor replied, glancing to Luna for corroboration.

"I'm still worried about Iris, but you have a point Noct," she replied. "A quick shower and change of clothes wouldn't go amiss," she agreed.

Noctis swerved into the parking lot of the rest stop. Cor made a bee line to the shop to obtain information, supplies, and the key to the caravan. Luna looked around, memories triggering. She had stopped here ten years ago to perform healing blessings on her way to Titan. An old woman had been waiting in line since dawn to see her. That had been Luna's burden—rest stops were never a chance for her to truly rest. There were always people needing healing, and she could never forsake them.

It was also the place in the photo that Noctis had given her—the one remnant of their "true" lives that had dispelled the illusion in the afterlife. This is where Noctis had camped with Ardyn.

The irony of that was not lost on Noctis. He glanced at the now rusty caravan bemusedly. Based on its rust and age, it had to be the same one. It added salt to the wound that he had to delay their pursuit of Iris and Ardyn by resting at the very place Ardyn had journeyed with them. He shook his head in disgust. Why had his destiny and Ardyn's intertwined so closely? By all rights Ardyn should be dead and Noctis be at peace. However, they were both alive, and decidedly not at peace. Noctis wasn't sure which fate was worse.

Cor emerged with his clothes and the caravan key. "Not much of a selection," he griped, holding up a "I visited the Disc of Cauthess, and all I got was this lousy tee shirt" shirt, and a pair of "Cauthess" sweatpants.

Noctis snickered. "Cor the Immortal and tourist," he commented, having a hard time keeping his face straight.

"You should be grateful I didn't go for the 'I'm with stupid at the Disc of Cauthess' shirt instead," Cor replied, and strode into the caravan.

The array of clothing at the rest stop was indeed limited. Luna grabbed a pair of "Cauthess" shorts, and and a tee shirt with "All Hail the Archean" on it. "Don't say anything," she demanded of Noctis, when she saw him glance at her purchases.

"I wasn't going to say anything," he replied with a smirk. "But I've gotta say, as Oracle you should get all six of the 'All Hail' shirts."

Luna just put up a "talk to the hand" gesture, and entered the caravan after Cor.

Noctis did get his comeuppance though. He was forced to join the "goofy clothes" club too. He uncovered a ChocoMog Tee like the one he had worn ten years ago. He even dug up a chocobo hat to go with it. It wasn't quite revenge though. Noctis was thrilled with his find. He came running into the caravan. "Hey Cor," he demanded to the now clean, tourist-dressed badass. "Did you know they still made these things?" He waved his new clothes excitedly to Cor.

Cor tried to keep his face grave as befitting his speaking to a King, but failed miserably. "It's probably the same ones," he finally added with a smirk. "It's not like we were manufacturing tee shirts in the ten years of darkness."

"Oh," Noctis replied. "But they are still in good shape."

"As long as they adequately armor us from foes I'm happy," Cor replied, with the gruff gravity he was striving for earlier.

For being an old caravan, the inside had been repaired adequately. There was plenty of hot running water, and the bed even looked clean. Luna looked at it longingly for a moment—she really was tired. However, she knew a nap was out of the question. After gobbling up the hot dogs and sodas Noctis had procured for them from the onsite food stand, the cleaned party was ready to move on.

"Hopefully Titan still takes us seriously when we get there," Cor replied with a pointed look to their clothes.

"That assumes he's there," Noctis replied. "If he's not, I don't know what we will do next," he confessed.

"We cross that bridge when we come to it," Luna said bracingly, forcing them onward.

* * *

 **I don't know about you guys, but as soon as they added the Chocomog Tee to the game, that became my signature outfit for Noctis. There is nothing more absurdly satisfying than beating up Ardyn with our hero wearing a brightly-colored tee shirt and chocobo hat-to my warped mind anyway. I loved the chance to put Noctis back into that costume here. Anyway, thanks a bunch and see you next time!**


	39. Chapter 39: Slow Down and Scheme

**Hi Everyone! You are getting some pretty fresh stuff this chapter-some of which just written today. I've done my best to have it as polished as usual, but I apologize in advance for any annoying typos that I missed. Without further ado, here goes, and thanks as always!**

* * *

"Well, at least I'm not getting headaches this time," Noctis said, as he Luna, and Cor entered the cave separating the real world from Titan's lair.

"Headaches from the heat? Sounds like somebody is a pansy," Cor cut in, with a similar acidity to Gladio.

Noctis sighed. "They were magical headaches caused by Titan," he replied.

"Oh, I see," Cor replied, in understanding, but he did not apologize for his jibe.

"That's my fault I'm afraid," Luna replied. "When I first spoke to Titan, he doubted your ability to wield his powers, so I ah, challenged him. I said, 'do your worst to King Noctis. He will weather it and become the Chosen King.'"

"Hmm. I know he needed to test me and all but headaches were kind of a dick move," Noctis replied.

"Agreed," Luna said with alacrity.

"Take him to task on it," Cor said. "He should be right here."

They had entered the volcanic lair that was Titan's home. It had settled a bit in the past ten years. The last time Noctis had been here, the crater had been collapsing. It would have killed him, Ignis, Prompto, and Gladio if Ardyn had not saved them, for reasons of his own.

There was a stone sarcophagus hanging in the middle of the crater that took up almost the entire space.

"Titan. You here," Noctis called out.

"Informal as ever," Luna replied with a smirk, then called out, "Archean, the Oracle and Chosen King have returned to you. Please, hear our plea."

The sarcophagus began to shake, causing ominious rumbles on the ground the trio was standing on. Noctis put his arm around Luna reflexively to hold her steady at the sudden earthquake. Cor put his arms out for balance.

"That is not a sarcophagus," Cor said ominously. "It's a cocoon."

He appeared to be right. First a giant fist slammed through it, fracturing the side. Then the arm began jiggling the hole, causing the side to fall apart—the stone falling into the greedy lava below to, one day, become more rock.

With another rumble that nearly threw Noctis, Luna, and Cor to the ground, the stone cocoon fully shattered. It took a second for the dust and rock to clear, then the giant, bald Archean was staring down at them balefully.

"First the afterlife, now my other life. I'm getting tired of you," Titan replied coldly.

Noctis shrugged. "Yeah it does seem to be a bit of an endless cycle. We wouldn't bother you unless we had a good reason to."

"What is it you want this time," Titan demanded.

"The Infernian needs to be stopped," Luna said firmly. "We are equipped to do that, but he has retreated where we cannot find him. We need your wisdom to guide our path."

"I suppose you have heard what happens if a God dies and doesn't return," Titan replied.

"It's already happened with Shiva. Ifrit will do the same to all humans if he is not stopped," Luna continued.

"Even with your full strength, you were unable to stop him," Titan replied.

"How do you know that? You were asleep apparently," Cor commented.

Titan rolled his eyes. "I may have just returned to the world of the living, but even while making the transition, I know what transpires around me. Were I to tell you where Ifrit is, I would be sending you to your death."

"We stopped him before," Noctis replied. "Granted, he returned to this world in the cycle of rebirth, but if we can do that, killing him should be possible with the right knowledge and power."

"Are you asking me to lend you my power," Titan asked Noctis.

Noctis shook his head. "You have already returned our memories and helped us get back here. We will not trouble you again. All we need to know is where Ifrit is. We will do our best from there."

"Your best isn't good enough," Titan replied. "However, if you are set on knowledge, I can tell you that his shrine is located at the Rock of Ravataugh. I cannot say if he is there or not, but you can 'do your best from there'."

"I thought you know things," Cor said. "How can you not know if he is there? Some kind of magic force field," he added derisively.

Luna stared back at Cor in shock at his irreverence, but didn't contradict him.

"I said I 'can't say'. Not that I don't know if he's there or not," Titan returned.

Noctis raked his hand through his hair, annoyed, but resigned as to how the Six operated by now. "Fine, I guess that is all we will get out of you. You haven't seen Ardyn Izunia have you," Noctis added, almost as an afterthought.

"I have not," Titan replied. "And, for what it is worth, I had nothing to do with bringing him back. If I had a choice he'd still be rotting the afterlife for what he did."

"I doubt you know where he would go then," Cor asked, offhandedly.

Titan folded his arms. "For all my knowledge, I never could fathom that one's mind. The crystal cursed him, yet he not only survived it, but actually thrived on it and grew stronger. I lost track of who or what he is long ago. I cannot guess where he has gone."

Luna turned to Noctis in alarm. "He kept telling us he hated Ifrit and wanted to stop him. You, don't suppose he took Iris to the Rock of Ravataugh, do you?"

Noctis's face twisted. "I don't think he would do anything that rash…" then he remembered Ardyn having goaded the flame army in Insomnia to lure them to the sewers. "Actually, maybe he would. And if he has Iris with him…"

"We should go to Ravataugh right away," Cor replied, urgently.

"We shall take our leave," Luna said to Titan graciously. "I, fear for Leviathan. She too has waged war upon Ifrit, and we have seen what he is capable of."

Titan's face twisted for a moment. "I will handle her. Don't you worry about that."

Cor looked at him suspiciously. "And how will you 'handle' her? If you are as much of a woman hater as Ifrit is…"

"Leviathan is the other half of my soul—water and land—we complete each other. You can be assured that I do not hate her," Titan replied matter-of-factly.

Luna stared at him in understanding. "We will leave her to you then. Come everyone."

Cor glanced back suspiciously, but then followed Luna's lead.

"So, you are giving the orders now," Noctis asked Luna wryly.

"Yes. Are you going to arrest me for treason, King," she taunted with a challenging smile.

Noctis smirked back, but something settled in his eyes that her memory from the afterlife remembered, and her heart began pounding in excitement.

"I have something different in mind," Noctis replied, his voice a dark promise. Luna had a split second to wonder if she had gone too far in her teasing before Noctis pulled her into his arms and, heedless of Cor's presence, kissed her.

This was their first "real" kiss, Luna realized, dazed. With both of them alive, and not in the afterlife. Noctis kissed her as though he had been denying himself so long, and could no longer control it. His passion swept them both into a flood that Luna was powerless to combat. She could just cling to Noctis, returning his kiss with her own quiet, but just as intense, passion. Nothing mattered but each other, for now.

"You guys keep doing what you're doing. I'll go handle Ifrit myself," Cor cut in sarcastically, drawing them back to the present. Luna broke away, flustered, shy.

"Oh! Uh, sorry Cor," she replied, embarrassed, then looked to Noctis with regret.

Noctis simply shrugged. "We'll talk about this later," he promised, affably, but with implacability.

Luna knew this was just the beginning. Everything between them in the afterlife had been an illusion, but this was real. She wanted more of Noctis, everything he had. And her body heated at the possibilities.

Cor just shook his head, and led the way out of the tunnel. Noctis took his lover's hand in his, and guided her out of Titan's lair.

* * *

"Lestallum doesn't look too bad considering what Ifrit did to it," Prompto observed, surveying the now bustling-again city.

"We didn't stay as the largest city left in Lucis for nothing," Holly replied back with pride. "Our disaster relief is top-notch. Although," she looked at where the building Ifrit had destroyed had once stood, surveying the hole where the foundation was. It was all that was left of the apartment building. All the debris had been taken away. "Although, we can't recover the lives lost," she added regretfully.

"We will make Ifrit pay for that," Gladio replied gruffly.

She looked back at him, as though expecting that response. She really did know him pretty well. "Killing Ifrit won't bring the dead back," she replied with quiet gravity.

"I know," Gladio said regretfully. "But it is all we can do to cope and to move on. And bringing him down will prevent more people from suffering."

Holly stared at Gladio in amazement. Despite his terse wording, that was the nicest thing she had ever heard him say.

"What, did I grow a second head or somethin'," he asked, ruining the moment.

Holly collected herself and shook her head. "Nah. Your one head is big enough, overinflated with that ego of yours," she countered.

Gladio was unfazed. "If we didn't have my sister to look for, I'd be tempted to show you what my head can do," he added, with a focused gaze at her lips. Holly had nothing to say to that, and blushed.

Cindy gave them a knowing glance. "That's the look I was talkin' about earlier, Holly," she said, an edge of laugher in her tone.

"What look," Prompto replied, naively curious.

"I'll tell you when you're older, Prompto," Cindy taunted him as though he were a recalcitrant boy.

Prompto squared his shoulders. "I'm plenty old enough," he replied peevishly. "You don't need to treat me like a little kid. I am a man, and you know it," he added with sudden intensity, with a gaze to match that she had never seen on him before.

He was not the immature boy he had once been, she realized. Sure, she had seen him age physically during the ten years of darkness, well not much, she had to concede. Besides his goatee he looked much the same. But, through it all, he had kept his eternal optimism—his neverending faith that Noctis would return and set things right.

However, having saved the world, having died, and now coming back, Cindy could see that he had matured, mentally. He had seen the darkness, evil, and death head on, and had come through the other side changed at his core. Oh, his humor and lightness were still there, but they had been fused to a maturity and sense of purpose that made her see him as the man he now said he was.

She swallowed hard at the realization. His gaze dropped to her throat, seeing the movement, and stared at her with his version of "that look". Damn it, she realized. Now _he_ had gotten _her_ blushing.

"So, are we catchin' Ardyn or not? Otherwise there's a double-wide and a lawn chair callin' my name," Cid cut in abrasively, reminding them of their mission.

"Of course, Paw Paw," Cindy replied calmly, returning to business.

"Where should we start," Talcott asked.

"The folks at the plant haven't seen them," Holly said. "My guess is they aren't here. But to close the loop, we can check out the Levelle and the marketplace. If they have not been seen at either place, then I think we move on to the Vesperpool."

"Ardyn and Iris had better not be sharing a room at the Levelle or my sword and his black heart have an appointment," Gladio added darkly.

"I, don't think Ardyn is that kind of guy," Cindy piped up tentatively. "I didn't get the same vibe from him that I got from Belenus when I met him in Hammerhead."

"He's still done bad shit," Gladio replied. "I won't be happy till I have found them."

"We won't find 'em till we start lookin'. Let's go," Cid said, starting the group on a town-wide search.

* * *

The deserts of the Western Continent had always been the forgotten corner of the land. The region's only claim to fame was tiny train stations and the dregs of a coal processing plant. Even the mines that had once been its lifeblood were largely spent. There were still a few grizzled prospectors who had settled in after the light returned on the off chance that there was enough coal left to make it worth it. However, it was doubtful they would come up with much.

Ifrit was itching to kill these fools. How dare they desecrate the boiling hot desert with their damned digging machines and rusty shacks? However, to do so would draw too much attention to his presence which he could not afford at the moment. Indeed, it was taking all of his strength to manifest as Belenus, to attempt to blend in with the humans. He had even been forced to tweak his appearance a bit to avoid looking too "clean cut" in this harsh environment. His flaming hair was now matted and dusty. His green suit was moth-eaten and covered with a dusty cloak. And he hated the nescessity—every last second of it

However, the heat of the desert would restore him to full strength. Admittedly, camping at the Rock of Ravataugh would have the most benefit, but that would have been too obvious. Any pursuers worth their salt would have found him there all too easily. Well, it wouldn't have been that easy—it wasn't "his" shrine for nothing. However, it was a risk he did not want to take in his present condition.

So here he was, stuck in the back end of nowhere, disguised as a human no less, healing very slowly, and brooding over his next move. Damn Noctis and his petty crew! Even Ardyn, Noctis's bitter enemy, had put aside his differences to stand up against Ifrit. Noctis was a fool to believe that Ardyn would be his ally forever. All that bastard wanted was power. The only reason he had sided with Noctis now was because he envisioned getting something out of it for himself. That slimy bastard had been a thorn in Ifrit's side for 2000 years. Ifrit should have focused his efforts on killing him first.

And now Leviathan had raised her ugly head too? What a bitch, he seethed. Every woman he had ever known just wanted to hurt him. Shiva, Leviathan, Luna, Iris…

His fist clenched in anger. He should have dealt with Iris long ago. Why had he stalled? He had had her in his power plenty long enough to have his way with her then discard her like the useless human she was. It was not like he cared if Luna watched. In fact, it might have worked out better. It would have shown what he was capable of, so she would be cowed and not fight back lest the same thing happen to her.

He shook his head. He was not one to give into introspection. Action and doing what one wanted was all that he cared about. It was just that he was savoring Iris's defeat at his hands. She would be the coup de grace, and his reward for a job well done. Once all of humanity was destroyed, he would make her his, in every way he could think of.

He was getting ahead of himself. He needed to figure out a new way to destroy humanity—it was evident that Lux would not be the vessel he sought. That useless brat! He should have incinerated him in that tube as soon as he saw him. So if not Lux then…

Ardyn had the power to do it—even though cursed by the crystal, he had landed on his feet with almost divine powers. He wouldn't care who he hurt as long as he obtained some kind of power or prestige. "Absolute power corrupts absolutely," swirled in Ifrit's head. And Ardyn already was corrupted. Give him power, and he would destroy everything. Ifrit smirked. Perhaps there was some benefit in not having killed Ardyn yet.

That was his next move Ifrit decided. He would find Ardyn, and give him everything he wanted. And if Ardyn was still travelling with Noctis, well, Ifrit doubted Noctis and his crew would survive "round 2" with Ifrit at his full powers. A few more days in this human-infested hellhole, then Ifrit would be back at full strength, and could reach out to his quarry.

* * *

 **So, do people think Ifrit will be successful and make Ardyn the villain du jour again, or is Ardyn "better" than Ifrit gives him credit for? Or is there another path out there? Curious where folks think it's heading. Hope you stay tuned to find out and thanks for reading as always.**


	40. Chapter 40: Queen and Knight

**Howdy! I'm pretty bummed that Squenix didn't announce anything about the FF-15 expansions at E3. That means I will have to keep writing my own in the meantime ;-) Speaking of-here's the new chapter and hope you like.**

* * *

The barge Ravus was on was rickety and smelled like fish. However, as it was presently his only route to Tenebrae, he would take it. In all of his brave talk about returning to Tenebrae, he hadn't thought about how he would get there with a damaged transportation infrastructure, or without the imperial airships. He had had to rely on the kindness of strangers just to get him to Hammerhead—without a random refugee stopping to ask if he needed a lift he would no doubt still be walking there.

Luckily one of Cindy's assistents had recognized him, and had given him a change of clothes to replace his melted broken armor. She had tried to keep the spirit of his appearance alive by giving him a pair of white sweatpants and a white work jacket (a more practical and less revealing version of Cindy's yellow one). However, there the similarity ended. The red Hammerhead souveiner tee shirt beneath was not one of his favorite colors, and the outfit was not armor at all. It lacked any defensive capabilities, and it would rip at the first strike of a foe's sword.

However, armor was only important if an enemy hit you, and he was fast enough to evade almost every hit that came his way. And it was not like his present armor was salvageable.

More importantly, Cindy's assistant had also procured him a ride on a freight truck to the River Wenneth. From there, he was able to obtain passage downriver on said barge and travel across the sea to get to Tenebrae (if all went well).

And it may not. The ship captain expressed a concern for water monsters, and had jumped at the chance to have a warrior on board to help protect them just in case. Ravus had never heard of monsters in these waters, but maybe it was a new (post darkness) issue. However, he was willing to offer his services if it would get him passage to Tenebrae.

He was still unclear if these monsters actually existed or were just some kind of superstition. He had not seen any signs of anything yet—it was a smooth, breezy, almost pleasant crossing. However, he was on his guard in case anything arose.

As he watched the smooth blue seas, his mind kept turning back to Iris. He didn't know why his sense of chivalry and protectiveness went into overdrive around her. Maybe it was because he suspected that she didn't get it from anyone else. While he trusted Gladio to protect her, he was also not the most, empathic, person in the world. He probably had no clue what his sister really thought and felt.

If she were hurting, he'd probably just say, "suck it up and deal," and not care about her problems and pain. Gladio would call it "tough love," but to Ravus, it was just an excuse to ignore somebody until they figured out on their own. And at the end of it, the recipient was still alone.

He thought about all that Luna had endured. The only way to truly help his sister had been to try to turn her from her path. However, her devotion to Noctis kept her on it, despite Ravus's best efforts. In the end, all Ravus could do was watch as she wasted away, being slowly poisoned by the darkening world, and her self-imposed burdens. It was rare that she broke down from it, but when she had, it had nearly torn him apart as well. To have had somebody like Gladio in the mix, saying, "just deal with it," was unacceptable. If Gladio had been their brother too and had tried something like that, Ravus would have punched him in the face.

Ravus only had a vague sense of what Iris had been through, but it was enough. Her terrified reaction and her trembling in his arms still haunted him. She needed someone to help ease her burden, and it seemed to him that he was the only one who cared enough to do so.

It was as simple as that, he tried to tell himself. However, there were nagging doubts in his mind. Why was he so focused on her feelings and on how he suspected the others treated her? It wasn't like he believed in love at first sight, or anything like that. It wasn't like he wanted to drag her around the nearest corner and kiss her.

Ravus didn't know Iris that well, but he had seen her type before. She likely saw herself as "one of the guys,". However, women like that tended to be overlooked, written off. He knew enough about how the party dymanics worked with Noctis and his clique. He wondered how many times they had left her behind with a pat on the head and a "she is a tough girl, she will do fine on her own" attitude. How many times Gladio and Noctis had blatently abandoned her to frolic about on their own.

They would see her as one of the guys, until there was 'real' stuff to do, Ravus thought bitingly. Iris deserved better than that. He had to admit he liked her. He was intrigued by her tenacity and her strength and vulnerability wrapped up in the same package. And it revolted him that the others didn't see it. How could they have such a complicated woman in their group and overlook her? It wasn't like Ravus was in love with her. However, he did want to get to know her better. And if Ardyn and Ifrit dared touch a hair on her head, Ravus would make them pay.

"Land ho," one of the crew members called out. Unless something happened within the next few minutes, it seemed that the fabled sea monsters weren't out, which was indeed a relief. Ravus knew it was making him lower his guard a bit, but he couldn't help but greedily drink in the shoreline of his homeland that he hadn't really seen in ten years.

* * *

Aranea didn't want to be in here. The Royal Suites of the Citadel were lavish, cushy, but she did not belong here. She felt like an invader, a usurper. However, after having determined that Ardyn and Iris probably weren't here, Ignis had decreed that they clean up a bit before moving forward. She had been resistant, but she had to admit the marble shower with piping hot water was pretty nice.

Lux had dashed off to his room to clean up, and Ignis had wandered off as well, leaving Aranea with time to herself. She had used it to good advantage, washing her clothes in the tub, hanging them up on the shower rod to dry, and digging up an oversized red shirt to wear while her clothes dried.

She hoped she wasn't wearing one of King Regis's old shirts. That would be, weird. But then a worse thought occurred. Ardyn had lived here for ten years. This shirt better not be one of his. Although, she didn't think this baggy red tee shirt that descended almost to her knees would have been to his taste. She wondered if it was something Gladio had left behind at some point—it seemed like one of his.

Whose bedroom had this been, she wondered. She guessed it had been somebody masculine. The wooden dresser, chest of drawers, and linen chest at the foot of the large bed were all matching dark wood. Mahogany was her guess.

Even as tired as she was, the bed did not look that inviting. The hunter green and gold brocade bedspread looked stiff, and was probably itchy when used as a blanket. A thin layer of dust muted the colors of the cloth. She bet if she plopped down on that bed, the resulting dust cloud would make her sneeze. But then again, she had slept in worse places, on the ground, stuffed in thin sleeping bags on her various jobs. And as tired as she was, maybe she should brave the bed…

The knock on the door started her, temporarily shaking her loose from her drowsiness.

"May I come in," Ignis asked, muffled behind the thick door.

At Aranea's sound of assent, he stepped in, a bundle of fabric on his arm. He had cleaned and changed himself—sporting a pair of black jeans and a wrinkled burgundy paisley silk shirt. His damp hair was evidently finger-combed, giving it tousled spikes. Damn, Aranea thought. Even when mussed a bit, he was still devastatingly handsome.

She suddenly remembered how she was dressed—in just a tee shirt hanging to her knees. Her platinum hair was still wet and dripping. She had always felt vulnerable with wet hair for some reason. She had dried herself hastily, so there were still some wet spots that her shirt clung to, probably making it more form fitting than it should have been. Standing here in a bedroom with Ignis, with him and her looking the way they did…her mouth went dry.

"Where did you find those clothes," she demanded, to cover over any awkward awareness that was threatening to sprout.

"These," he asked, gesturing to his new outfit. "I recovered them from my old rooms. They are a little, antiquated, but I still managed to fit into them."

He scanned her, making her blush unwelcomely. "I brought you a little something to wear, but I should have guessed you would handle that on your own," he added wryly, dusting off the foot of the bedspread fastidiously with his hand then placing his bundle onto the relatively cleaner spot.

Aranea gave it a closer look, and did a double take. It was a black silk kimono, embroidered with white flowers. The craftsmanship was exquisite, and it looked delicate, feminine, and very expensive.

"Where did you get this," she asked, flustered.

"It belonged to the former Queen. Noct's mother. I never saw her wear it. I don't think she'd mind if you borrowed it."

"I can't take something that belonged to the former Queen," Aranea blustered out.

"Queen Ilunabarra would have wanted you to have it," Ignis said. "For everything you've done for Noct, she owes you."

"Did you, know her," Aranea asked, genuinely curious. Nobody had ever spoken about Noctis's mother before.

"She passed when I was six—shortly after I took on the mantle of being Noct's advisor in-training. It was she who decided to 'adopt' me so to speak after my parents, died. My mother had been her lady in waiting."

She had heard before from Ignis that his father had fallen in battle in one of the skirmishes with the Empire when Ignis was a baby, and his mother had died of an illness when he was four. She had not heard about his connection to the former queen though.

"What was she like," Aranea couldn't help asking.

Ignis raked his hand through his hair, trying to remember and come up with the right words. "She was, very wise and nurturing. She was a gentle spirit who tried to weather all of Regis's burdens as king, and was sweet and kind to all children in her orbit. Noct of course, as well as myself and Gladio. I wish Prompto could have known her as well, but our paths did not cross until years later. She always had a smile and a piece of candy for us, I remember," he added with a fond smile.

"How did she die," Aranea asked gently.

"Pregnancy complications," Ignis replied prosaically. "I did not understand it until years later, but I believe the pressure of having another child put too much stress on her. She likely knew that if Noct were the only Caelum left, all the burdens of being the Chosen King would fall to him, and that it would doom him. In her eagerness to have more children so that Noct would not be the only one left, she ended up fatally destroying herself and Noct's potential sibling. I, suppose His Majesty could have married again, but he truly loved her. There could be no replacement for her."

Aranea put a tentative finger out to touch the fabric of the kimono, as if by doing so she could understand this woman, Noctis, and maybe even Ignis a little more. "Is that why you have stayed by Noctis's side all these years," she asked.

"Noct is my brother. I would stay beside him till the bitter end. However, some of it may stem from that. I knew early on what Noct's fate would be if there was a rise in the darkness. I had hoped that with the peace the Empire offered and Noct's marriage to Luna that the darkness had been averted. However, when Luna died, I knew that there was only one way this could end. And even though I was blind and consequently a liability, I insisted on staying with Noct so he would not have to bear the burden alone. But now that we have all returned, I, do not know what to do next."

He sounded so uncertain when he said that that Aranea's heart almost broke. He had given his life, knowing that Noctis's life was doomed to end early, but now that it had not, what was next for Ignis? Did he still serve his king as always, never changing, and stuck in an endless loop of self-imposed servitude? Or did he shake free of it, and live for himself?

Aranea couldn't bear it. Even when he had been blind, he had always known what to do, what came next. To hear him so uncertain, so vulnerable now made her feel, almost frightened. She knew full well that Ifrit and Ardyn were out there, and to have Ignis losing focus now was more than she could bear. It chilled her in fact. To warm up, she found herself putting the kimono on, without even realizing it. The cool silk caressed her exposed skin, but then started trapping the heat, warming her up a bit.

It was up to her. If Ignis was uncertain, then she would advise him. "We take on Ifrit and rescue Iris for starters," she said, briskly. "And, if Ardyn gets in the way, we deal with him too. If we win, then figuring out where to go from there is a good problem to have."

Ignis gave her a half-smile at her advice. "As wise as you are beautiful, Aranea," Ignis replied fervently. Then, before she could even ask him if that was his go to pickup line for everyone, he took her hand, raised it to his lips, and kissed her wrist like a gentleman out of an historical novel.

She had never realized how sensitive the inside of her wrist was until he kissed it. It was as though she could feel the warmth of his lips slide through her, like she had just drunk a potent liquor. If she had waited a minute, she woudn't have needed the kimono after all.

He still retained her hand, then scanned her as the silken folds of the borrowed kimono settled into place.

"It, looks good on you," he said, voice so low Aranea thought she could feel it slide down her spine.

She should break the mood that was descending, say something prosaic like, "I'm only keeping it on till I warm up and my clothes dry," but something in his expression prevented it, leaving her staring back, like a deer in the headlights, knowing that surrender was her only option.

Ignis's gaze darkened from jade to forest—a dark mysterious forest that would trap the unwary in a pagan spell. Aranea was, momentarily anyway, the unwary. She stood still as Ignis moved closer, his hand gently cupping her chin, tilting her face up to meet his.

Aranea had never been kissed before—men tended to find her too intimidating, too unfeminine. Ignis didn't think so. His mouth was hot against hers, kissing her with an intense focus as though she were a mystery he could solve if he just didn't stop kissing her. For one flustered moment, Aranea didn't know what to do, but instinct soon took over, and her arms twined around him, holding him closer as she, awkwardly at first, but with rapidly increasing boldness, kissed him back.

He deepened the kiss. She felt the wall at her back as he pushed her firmly against it for more leverage. But then reality receded. She was losing herself in him, and what he was making her feel. It was the kimono, her innermost rationality tried to reason. With it on, she had transformed into someone else. She was no longer Commedore Aranea Highwind, tough aggressive dragoon. She was now Aranea Highwind the woman. A queen ready to claim her prince and devoted knight wrapped into one.

There was no thinking, no consequences. Only feeling. If Ignis had led her to the bed, she would have gone, wholeheartedly, heedless of the dust, knowing that everything would be all right.

"I'm ready to go! Are you ready Aran…" the childish voice from the doorway broke off embarrassed.

It was enough to return Ignis and Aranea to reality with a jolt. Still, Ignis did not break away quickly or guiltily. He broke the kiss gently, so that they would not break apart too violently and lose their balance, then they were both facing Lux, doing their best to compose themselves.

"Um. I can come back later," Lux said, hesitantly, looking anywhere except at them.

"No need," Ignis said firmly, only the slightest bit of huskiness in his tone if you listened closely. "We were just getting ready to go."

"Yes," Aranea said bracingly. "Let me change my clothes, then I'll be ready," she said, then practically ran back into the bathroom.

As soon as she got in there, her knees buckled, and she plopped down on the floor, leaning against the door and hugging her knees.

She should be feeling guilty, she thought. This was not the time or the place for any kind of dalliance. Iris was in danger, and if she was hurt, or worse, because Aranea and Ignis were making out like some kind of creeps who couldn't keep their hands off each other, then Aranea deserved any punishment fate wanted to give her. She should be grateful that Lux had returned them to reality. The rational part of her was.

However, the "feminine" part—the part she had never known she had—the kimono-clad queen part, was miffed that they had been interrupted. She wanted more of Ignis's kisses, his touch, for her to be able to feel under his shirt. She shook her head. This was more incentive for them to beat Ifrit and Ardyn and save the world. Then, and only then, could she and Ignis be together.

She hurriedly put her still-damp original clothes back on, and prepared for the next phase of their journey. Sincce they had come up dry here, it was time to check out Cape Caem.

* * *

 **Hope you don't mind the liberties I took with Noctis's mother's story. I'm not even sure if who she was was ever mentioned in canon, but I thought what I came up with makes sense. Her name means "sunset' in Basque (at least from what Google says) so I thought it fitting. If anyone more versed in cannon knows who Noctis's "real" mother is, let me know-I won't change what I have ;-) but I'd like to know anyway. And Ignis and Aranea finally got their long overdue time together! I figured they deserve it. Anyways, thanks for reading and see you next time.**


	41. Chapter 41: Heart of a Villain

**Me again ;-) Not much time to write this weekend-babysitting and doing stuff for Father's day with the family filled up my weekend pretty good. I've still got some stuff ready to go though, so here it is! And a special shout out to BarianHunterAlpha for setting me straight on Noctis's mother from my question last chapter. Guess Noctis's mom's name is Aulea and is mentioned in some deleted materials from the game. I will see what I can do about working it into subsequent chapters, but no changes to what I have done already. Thanks for reading as always!**

* * *

For being 2000 years old, Ardyn was a surprisingly good driver, Iris thought grudgingly. But then again, traffic was light, so it's not like they had to worry about accidents. The only concern was the pot-hole strewn roads that had not been properly maintained in the ten years of darkness.

Ardyn seemed pretty alert though, and was able to weave his way around the holes without a problem. "Hmph," he griped about the car's handling. "This is nothing like the 'dear old thing' I used to drive. However, I suppose beggars can't be choosers."

"We wouldn't be 'beggars' if you hadn't attempted to destroy the world," Iris reminded him.

"Surely you aren't blaming me for this," Ardyn replied tauntingly. "I was dead when Ifrit made his recent moves."

Iris opened her mouth to tell him that if he hadn't put them through a decade of darkness, the roads would not be a pockmarked mess. However, she realized it wasn't worth the argument. Ardyn refused to hold himself culpable for anything—seeing what he did as necessary for some kind of "greater good". Not that Iris believed any of it.

"This car won't get us to Altissia," Iris finally said. "How do you plan on getting us there? Galdin Quay is gone—there is no ferry anymore."

"I confess I haven't thought that far ahead," Ardyn replied ruefully. "However, hope springs eternal that we will achieve what we seek."

Despite it being overgrown, the area they were in now seemed kind of familiar. When Iris saw the lighthouse peeking through the trees, she knew where they were. Ardyn parked in the gravel parking spot marking Cape Caem.

"I doubt there are any boats here, if that's what you are looking for," Iris said repressively.

"Oh, ye of little faith," Ardyn taunted. "The lighthouse looks in remarkably good condition despite the, er, situation it faced earlier. That implies to me that sailors are still interested in it, maybe enough to be within hailing distance."

Iris had used Cape Caem as her base of operations during the darkness, when she wasn't out hunting massive daemons with Cor. She and her fellow settlers had kept the lighthouse going, not because of boats, but to keep daemons away. The light had constantly focused on the land to keep it bright enough to deter daemons. However, she had to concede that it was possible that mariners had returned here now that light had returned.

She had to conclude that it was not only possible, but probable. The lighthouse was rotating again rather than constantly pointing to the shore. Were there people and boats here after all? The path to the lighthouse was dark when the light wasn't shining on it. Iris found that out the hard way when she tried to continue down the path in the dark—she stumbled on a rock and would have fallen except that Ardyn caught her. She stiffly removed herself from his grasp and then only moved when the light was pointed in their direction. She would rather spend hours moving down the path to the shore than try to push on in darkness and risk falling against Ardyn again.

The Cape Caem Farmhouse had not been kept up as well as the lighthouse had been. All of the good materials had been used to keep the lighthouse going. The only efforts to the house were keeping the exterior walls sound (using whatever materials were available) and boarding up the doors and windows. This made the building a hodgepodge of boat hulls, shipping containers, and whatever had been salvaged from the sea.

The attic did have an uncovered window though that made a good vantage point and sniper's nest for the daemons. Iris had had to use it whenever there was a power outage that affected the lighthouse. It would be useful now to survey the sea for boats. Iris didn't even bother knocking—it had once been her home after all, and any squatters would have to let her in or else.

It was empty. Ardyn followed her in and looked around. "If you needed a restroom, Iris, you could have asked," he commented dryly.

She rolled her eyes and told him about the observation post. "Although if you want the bathroom, you are welcome," she jibed. "The water should still work, and you smell disgusting."

Ardyn flipped up the collar of his cloak and theatrically sniffed, then wrinkled his nose. "You spend hours in the sewer, and I imagine you wouldn't be smelling like a rose, either. I daresay you smelled no better when you escaped the sewers," he jibed.

Iris remembered, full well. And anyone who had to deal with those sewers, no matter how much of an asshole they were, deserved her sympathy.

"As I said, the water should still work if you want to use it, and unless looters got to it there should be a stock of clothing as well. We stocked up supplies here, and always made sure we kept the well in good order" Iris said, in less harsh tones than she had been using.

Ardyn nodded in acknowledgement, but added warningly, "If this is a ploy to keep me occupied while you escape, I will be forced to retaliate."

Iris rolled her eyes contemptuously. "I've already said I will be your ally in this," she countered. "And if I am going to be stuck with you, the least you can do is not smell like a sewer."

Ardyn laughed. "I don't want to smell like one either. I shall do what you suggest. However, my warning still stands, should you require it," he added, then strode away to clean up.

Iris ascended the rickety wooden stairs to the observation post. There was still a sniper rifle up here attached to a tripod. Even standing near a gun made her feel safer. She didn't think Ardyn would harm her, at this stage anyway, but the doubt still remained. He was not to be trusted, and she knew what he had done to Luna. Having a gun to use on him if need be was admittedly a relief. Until she remembered he was immortal. Suddenly the gun was less of a benefit.

Still, the magnifying scope on it would help her see a great distance. She peered through, gently pivoted the gun, and scanned the sea below. She could see bobbing lights. There were boats out there! They were too far away to hail though. Maybe they were night fishermen who would come ashore here in the morning? If nothing else, she thought, taking heart, they could hail them from the shore in the morning and maybe they would see them. All that remained was waiting for daylight.

She returned to the living room to see Ardyn hanging up his fedora, cloaks, and suit on the fireplace mantel. He had changed into a red and white checkered flannel shirt and navy blue sweatpants. The pants were too short, cutting off at mid-shin. She couldn't help but smirk at the sight of someone as flamboyant as he being forced to wear such an outfit.

He turned to face her, shoving his heavy wet hair out his face impatiently, and took in the look on her face.

"Don't get used to this," he hissed. "As soon as my regular clothes dry, they are going back on."

"And how long will that take? We don't have all day," Iris replied. She knew they had to stay for a bit, but she didn't like his assumption that they were taking a break. It should have been a mutual decision.

"I for one do not want to attempt to cross the ocean in the dark," Ardyn replied. "My vote is we rest up until dawn then see what we can see from the shore. Surely even someone as 'competent' as you must need a little bit of rest," he added condescendingly.

Iris had to agree. "We wait until dawn then try to hail the boats I saw out there. I am going to freshen up and rest. And if you dare come anywhere near me…"

"Perish the thought," Ardyn replied hastily. "You have nothing to fear from me. You are not 'my type'."

Iris scoffed. "As if you have a type," she replied contemptuously. "I think you would claim anyone is 'your type' just to mess with them or for your own personal gain."

"Oh, I have a type," Ardyn replied darkly. "Unfortunately, she hates my guts and always will."

"Everyone hates you, Ardyn," Iris replied mechanically, then thought about what he just said. "Wait, your crush is a 'she'? I thought…" She broke off, not wanting to go too far down the path of what she thought Ardyn's preferences were. Not that it mattered—to each his or her own—but she didn't want to speculate on it.

Ardyn sighed in annoyance. "Just go freshen up. I'm staying right here, and don't try to escape," he called after her as she strode to the bathroom.

Iris couldn't stop thinking about what he had let drop though. Did he really have a crush on someone? Who would a creep like that be interested in? She tried to shy away from the thoughts—she really didn't want to think about anything like that related to him, but her curiousity wouldn't let her. And she owed it to whoever he "liked" to at least warn her of his interest. Iris knew his "interest" was not a good thing for this "she", whoever she was.

So, in deference to protecting this phantom woman, and well, satisfying her own curiousity, she picked up right where she left off as soon as she came back downstairs from cleaning up.

"Ok, Ardyn, confess. Who is this 'she' you are interested in?"

Ardyn's face twisted a moment, before switching to its customary insolence. "Why the sudden interest, Iris? I already told you are not my type. What else do you want from me?"

"Is this woman anyone I know," Iris persisted.

"What if I said it was you," Ardyn taunted, insinuatingly.

Iris drew back instinctively for the barest moment. "You said I'm not your type, and I believe you," she replied coolly. "Stop trying to change the subject and answer my question."

"My clothes should be dry now. Unless you want to watch me change into them, you might want to leave the room," Ardyn replied.

It was a blatent lie. Iris could still see the water dripping on the hearth from the bottom of the cloaks. She would not let him push her away with an excuse like that, even though she was uncomfortable with the thought of calling his bluff and having it be the real thing. She stared back at Ardyn, giving him no quarter.

Ardyn's modesty got the better of him. His shoulders slumped in defeat for a moment before he rallied. "Perhaps I should incapacitate you the rest of the way to Altissia," he replied, a decided threat in his tone.

Iris tensed. In her hunt for the truth, she had forgotten what he was capable of. And she was alone with him. Perhaps she had gone too far. Evidently she couldn't hide the look of alarm on her face. Ardyn smirked triumphantly.

"Fine, keep your secrets," Iris said resignedly. "I had hoped to warn—er—tell your 'intended' of your interest, but never mind," she said, then turned to walk away.

"The woman I am attracted to happens to be attracted to Ignis. I cannot compete with such a paragon of virtue," Ardyn finally said, matter-of-factly.

Iris turned around, gaping. "You, have a, thing for Aranea," Iris asked in shock.

Ardyn smirked bitterly. "It's amazing how everyone can tell Aranea and Ignis aren't indifferent to each other except Aranea and Ignis themselves," he jibed.

"Does it have something to with the fact that her genes and yours made Lux," Iris asked, trying to make sense of it.

"Oh please. You think I just want to play house with her and Lux? It's nothing so basic as that," Ardyn replied snarkily.

Iris doubted there was anything basic or simple with his "feelings" for Aranea, and just stared back, silently willing him to elaborate. She wanted some kind of revelation—an inkling of his feelings. He did not oblige her, leaving her to draw her own conclusions.

And they weren't good. If he liked Aranea, and she liked Ignis, then, Ignis was a liability. Iris wouldn't put it past Ardyn to try to kill Ignis to get to Aranea.

She voiced her concerns out loud. "What are you going to do about it," Iris demanded. "If you are even thinking of doing something to Ignis…"

Ardyn put up his hands defensively. "I'm not doing anything. Whatever I want from Aranea, I know full well that she deserves better. I am not a rash fool who thinks getting Ignis out of the way will win me the fair lady's heart. I am wise enough to know when it's not to be," Ardyn said coolly, but with an edge of resigned regret in his tone that made Iris look closer.

She knew he was a master manipulator, who could use any expression or tone of voice to convey what he wanted. However, this time, it seemed genuine. For the first time, she saw him, almost, emotionally vulnerable. He was a man who knew he had burnt every bridge he had ever made, and had lost all of his chances for anything 'good' in this life. For the barest instant, Iris pitied him. She actually wanted to cheer him up.

"I'm sorry I pried," Iris replied with genuine regret. "If Aranea loves another, then she is not the right woman for you. If we pull through this, maybe there will be somebody else, someday."

Ardyn laughed. "Your compassion is touching, but not nescessary," he replied with his normal sarcasm. "Now, I am going to use the few moments we have left before dawn to take a nap. I recommend you do the same." And with that, he turned his back on her, grabbed his almost-dry fedora, put it over his face, and leaned back against the wall to sleep.

Iris figured she should do the same. The room next door had a sofa. She crashed there, and was instantly asleep.

* * *

Despite his concern for Iris, Ravus couldn't keep from looking around at his former home. It had been ten years since he had "really" been back in Tenebrae, he realized. Fenestala Manor, the home where he grew up until the Empire had seen fit to kill his mother before his eyes, was not what he remembered.

The stone bridge with matching spires leading up to the manor was much as it was. However, he could tell the stone was new. Although they had tried to match what had once been there, he knew differently. The opalescent stone, weathered by generations of Oracles past, was now too perfect, too smooth and bright. A hint of what had happened could be seen on the smaller towers of the manor itself. The roof had fallen in on several of them, and there were holes in the walls dripping falling bricks. Had the empire done this, he wondered in mounting fury.

"Oi. What are ye doing there," an abrasive holler called behind him. "This is a construction zone—ye shouldn't be here," the man continued.

Ravus turned to face the uniformed man. A twinge of recognition hit him, but he couldn't recall where he had seen him.

The man was staring back at him suspiciously. "'Avent seen ye before," the man replied. "What are ye doing here?"

Ravus was temporarily bemused at the irony—former Prince of Tenebrae being treated like vermin in his own driveway. But then his arrogance took over. "I am Ravus Nox Fleuret. I believe I have the right to be here if I wish it."

The man sized up the white-haired goateed man before him wearing sweatpants and a fake leather jacket. His expression didn't change. "You're Ravus, eh? If you're Ravus then I am King Noctis Lucis Caelum," he replied derisively, not believing him for a second.

"I know for a fact you're not," Ravus replied. "He's on his way to the Disc of Cauthess with Lady Lunafreya as we speak."

"Ok. Now I know you're lying," the guard replied, voice hard. "The two o'them are dead."

Ravus sighed, raking his hand through his hair. First not recognized, now being called a liar. "If I were wearing my white armor would you believe me," he asked his interrogator derisively.

The man scratched his head under his hat as though actually considering his question. "Nope, that wouldn't 'elp either," he said unhelpfully.

"Goddamnit," Ravus snapped in frustration. "I'm here searching for a missing woman. Dark hair, 25 years old, goes by the name Iris Amiticia. Has anyone here seen her?"

That got the man's attention. "Ye know Miss Iris," he demanded in sudden intensity.

"Yes! I was with her in Insomnia before she got abducted."

"She's been abducted," the man asked sharply. "Do ye know who did it?"

"Yes, but it's a long story," Ravus said tersely. "And if you don't believe who I am, you won't believe that story either."

"I wish Lady A were 'ere," the man said, half to himself.

"If by 'Lady A', you mean Commedore Aranea Highwind, yes she knows, and she is assisting in the search."

This got the man's attention. "You know Lady A as well," he asked sharply.

"Indeed. We were fighting in Insomnia together."

"Sounds like I should listen to this story of yours. Come with me."

The man led him to a cottage near the end of the bridge. Part guard shack, part house, part office, it seemed to be where official business was conducted. Another uniformed man was rocking back and forth in his chair, but rose when he saw the two people enter.

"Oi Biggs," the man in the chair said in a form of greeting, then turned to scan Ravus. Now Ravus remembered who his escort was. He remembered Biggs—he had been one of Aranea's subordinates in her mercenary days. That meant the other man here must be Wedge.

"Well I'll be gobsmacked! Ravus Nox Fleuret, is that you," Wedge asked in surprise.

Ravus gaped that this man recognized him on sight, even though Ravus had admittedly aged quite a bit since they had last met. Even Biggs gave his associate a shocked glance.

"This bloke is Ravus," Biggs asked Wedge.

"Indeed! Look at his face. He's got the Fleuret bone structure tried and true. How could you not recognize him?"

Biggs had the class to look sheepish.

"Apologies ah, Prince, sir. Sounds like you 'ave some explaining to do.

"I am kind of in a rush, but I can give you the key facts," Ravus began and proceeded to recite his tale.


	42. Chapter 42: Land, Sea, and Fire

**Hi! The next chapter is ready to go! I've been lagging a bit on writing unfortunately, but I hope to have more soon. Thanks for reading as always!**

* * *

If the trip to the Rock of Ravataugh lasted any longer, Luna thought she would throw up. Hours of getting jolted by potholes, one so large she had bumped her head on the passenger seat wall from the impact, and constant swerves to avoid bigger ones had taken their toll.

Even Cor and Noctis had to regain their balance a bit when they clambered out of the car at the foot of the mountain, and craned their necks up to the mountain trail, their next stop. Cor took in the narrow, rocky path that zigzagged up the mountain slope. "I think we've got our work cut out for us," he commented.

"It's not so bad," Noctis said. "I was already here once. Royal Tomb you know," he replied.

"I'll take your word for it," Luna replied. "I remember when I was here, looking in vain for Ifrit, it always felt like there was something else watching me. It was uncanny."

"Yeah you're right," Noctis replied. "I remember the crater at the top—it looked like a major boss lair but it was empty. It always felt like if I made one misstep, I would awaken something deadly."

"That's not a major vote of confidence," Cor replied. "And if Ifrit is here now, that makes it much worse."

Noctis turned to the others. "This is my fight. Not yours. You wait here. I will climb to the top and confront Ifrit myself if I find him."

"Why do you keep saying that," Cor snapped back. "You get the same reaction every time."

"He's dangerous, guys," Noctis piped up.

"I was _killed_ by him," Cor replied. "I know damned well how he operates. I won't let him do the same thing to me again."

"And who do you think I am, Noct," Luna argued from her side. "Who was the one who travelled, alone to _All_ of the Six to pave the way for you? They were already mostly tamed by the time you got to them."

Noctis's head slew towards her. "If I met them when they were 'tame' then what the hell were they like before that?"

Luna shuddered at the memory, but then brushed it off. "Now you know why you don't have to worry about me. Let's go," she said, stalking forward up the path to lead the way.

Noctis could just stare at her a moment in surprise, before Cor nudged him and said, "if you try to control Luna, you will lose her. If you really care about her, you've gotta trust her to do what she thinks she can do. And be there for her when she falls, as she has been for you."

"You're right," Noctis said in wholehearted agreement before marching up the slope after her. But then he turned. "Wait! Why am I taking relationship advice from you? You've never been in one!"

"I _have_ been in one," Cor replied flatly. "I lost her because I made the mistakes you have made."

Noctis gaped at him a moment. "Who, when," was all he asked.

"That is a story for another time," Cor replied. "For now, we have a rogue astral to track down."

Luna stiffened, interrupting their conversation. "Anyone else hear that," she asked.

They all stopped to listen. "It sounds like something is 'wooshing'," Noctis replied pensively.

As if on cue, a vent in the ground opened two feet from Luna. She gasped, startled, then leapt back just as the vent began spewing flames straight up like a flame jet.

"Gas vents," Cor replied, sharply. "We'll be fried if we try to make it through these."

"These weren't here last time," Noctis replied. "You think maybe Ifrit set up a defense perimeter?"

"If he did, he's protecting something," Cor replied. "I'm thinking he's here."

"Hmm. I don't know," Luna commented pensively. "I mean, now that I think on it, Ifrit had to know this is the first place we'd check for him. If he's trying to hide from us, he wouldn't come here."

"He would if he has no place left to retreat to," Cor replied.

"And I think if he were here, Titan would have told us something. He knows we are weak against him—there is no way he would send us here knowing Ifrit was hiding here."

"Then, why send us here," Noctis replied.

"Maybe there is something in Ifrit's shrine? I only did a cursory search of it last time since I was looking for Ifrit."

"And I didn't even know Ifrit had a shrine here," Noctis replied. "All I came for was the royal tomb."

"We are agreed that there is a reason Titan sent us here," Cor cut in. "But that doesn't solve how to make it past these damned jets."

Luna studied it again. The flame jet didn't seem to be constant—it would flare up then recede. "I think there's a cycle to them," she told the group. "If we can figure out when it recedes, we can step over it when it is in remission. Anyone have a watch?"

"I do," Noctis replied, then started timing the times the flames were flaring and how long they were not. The group was forced to wait until Noctis waited several cycles to gather data.

"It, seems pretty random," he finally said. "However, once the flames are down, it seems like they stay down for at least ten seconds. That means if we go as soon as it flares down, we can step over it."

"You'd better be right about this," Cor replied. "I for one don't want to be burnt to death again."

Noctis shrugged. "Best I've got," was all he said.

It flared down. Luna didn't even take the time to coordinate. As soon as the flames receded, she hopped right over it, making it safely across before the flames started again."

"What the hell, Luna," Noctis demanded. "Shouldn't you have at least told us you were going to try it?"

"The time it would take me to tell you would have made me lose my window," she countered.

If his queen could do it, Noctis should be able to. He waited for the next window, then warped to Luna's side.

Cor gave the vent a wary glance, then took his turn. He lacked Noctis's speed or Luna's finesse, but he made it.

"There, one down," Luna said, relieved.

"And bunches more to go," Cor said darkly, with a pointed glance behind her.

She turned to see the rest of the path up. Now there were multiple vents flaring on and off all the way up the slope.

"You've gotta be kidding me," Noctis replied in frustrated disbelief.

"This will take awhile," Cor stated flatly.

* * *

Dawn was breaking over the southern sea separating Lucis from Altissia. Iris had to admit the waters sparkling in the early sun were quite pretty, but the boat making its way to the pier where she was standing was of more interest.

"Hallo there," Ardyn called from the dock, waving his fedora at the fishing boat to get its attention. It seemed to be working. The boat sailed closer until it reached the dock. Ardyn hurried to help tie it in place.

"A slip knot won't do it," the gruff captain scolded as a way of greeting. "You need a bowline or my boat is breakin' away."

"Oh, my humble apologies," Ardyn replied, all oily charm. "I am not a sailor, I'm afraid. But I would like to be, if you would be so kind as to assist us. My, friend and I are on a little roadtrip, and she has taken it into her head that she must fish in the seas around here. I'd very much like to impress her," Ardyn stage whispered to the sailor, to Iris's disgust. "Do you think you can help me?"

The man looked from one to the other of them. "I don't rent my boat out. Now, if you will excuse me," he turned to untie the boat in preparation for taking it back out.

"Oh, my apologies yet again," Ardyn said, cloyingly oily as always. "I neglected to mention that we would compenstate you for your trouble."

"What are you talking about," Iris hissed to him. "We don't have much gil—"

Ardyn nudged her in the ribs with his elbow to cut her off. The captain turned to face him.

"Well, if you've got the gil, I may be able to help you. I'd say, 10,000 gil should suffice."

10,000 gil, Iris fumed—they'd have to find a deadly monster to hunt and collect the bounty on before even coming close to that.

Ardyn shook his head regretfully. "I confess I didn't think the cost would be that high. Perhaps you could offer a discount?" And then, before the man could refuse, Ardyn waved his hands, a flash of dark energy emerged, and the man collapsed rag-doll to the pier.

"What the hell did you just do," Iris demanded to her partner/captor.

"I fear the 'brave sailor' had quite a long night sailing, and found himself too fatigued to continue this conversation," Ardyn commented dryly, poking the prone man teasingly with his boot. The man did not respond.

Iris was in no mood for Ardyn's games. "Did you kill him," she demanded, an edge of panic in her tone.

"You act as though I've never killed before," Ardyn said condescendingly. "If it would suit my purposes, I would have done so without hesitation. However, he is merely asleep. He will wake up in a few hours stiff and sore, and fuming that we commandeered his vessel, but we will be long gone. That is, if you stop questioning my actions and help me," Ardyn concluded with an edge of steel to his tone.

So saying, he knelt down and rifled the unconscious man's pockets, to emerge with a keyring. He smirked triumphantly, then began to step into the boat.

"Wait," Iris said. "We can't leave him here like this. The tide could come in and he could…"

Ardyn sighed. "The time it takes to move him he could wake up and bother us."

Iris ignored him and squatted down in preparation to drag the sleeping man's body.

"Honestly you are such a trial at times, Iris Amicitia," Ardyn griped, but turned around, strode back to the fallen body, tossed the prone man over his shoulder, carried him to a tuft of sea grass uphill from the pier, then plopped the man down with less consideration than if he were a sack of potatoes.

"There, satisfied," Ardyn sniped, then returned to the boat.

"I see what he meant by the knot not holding," Ardyn observed. The mooring was slipping—there was already a big gap between the boat and the pier. If they waited much longer they'd have to swim to the boat.

Luckily Ardyn was tall—his legs were long enough to still be able to step into the boat. Iris was not so lucky. She scanned the gap anxiously.

"Stand aside," she ordered. "I'm going to running jump in."

She ran forward, glanced at the ever-widening watery gap, then jumped. She felt her back foot hit the back wall of the boat as she leapt, but she cleared it, just to land right into Ardyn's arms, who caught her when she landed.

Before she could break away on her own in disgust, he released her. "The impact would have capsized the boat if I let you finish the jump, unaided," Ardyn commented coolly. "I hope you can forgive the, er, familiarity," he added. The words were polite, the tone indicated he didn't give a crap whether she forgave him or not.

Ardyn glanced to the back of the boat. The mooring knot had given way completely, and the boat was now listing.

"At least we don't have to remove the rope ourselves," Ardyn said brightly, now that he had his way again. "I don't suppose you know how to drive a boat," he asked Iris.

"You, stole the boat, and you don't even know how to use it," Iris asked him in horrified shock.

"No. I 'comendeered' the boat," Ardyn replied mockingly.

"You are a Grade A idiot," Iris snapped back.

Ardyn smirked. "That is not a very nice thing to say—about Noct. Why, he had to die to stop me. If I'm such an 'idiot' what does that say about him?"

Iris opened her mouth to refute, but had nothing to say.

"Do you know how to drive this old thing or not," Ardyn demanded.

"I helped Cindy fix the Royal Yacht. I know a little bit about how they work. And I know enough to know that you 'pilot' a boat. You don't 'drive' it," Iris replied condescendingly.

Ardyn merely smirked. "I stand corrected. I told you I'm not a sailor," he oozed, then stood aside and pointed to the wheel with a flourish. "I can't wait to see your 'piloting' skills," Ardyn mocked.

"You might want to sit down and put a life jacket on," Iris snapped back, and got the boat running with a lurch that would have knocked Ardyn into the water if he had not obeyed her.

The feuding duo made their awkward, but purposeful, way to Altissia.

* * *

The Royal Garage of the Citadel was a motorhead's dream. Vehicles of every type and age (even some very recent ones) were lined up in orderly rows. Aranea spotted a red sports car that suddenly made her miss her own car that now lay in a crumpled heap in Gralea. There were motorcycles, armored vehicles, limousines. Any of these would have gotten them to Cape Caem in style, but Aranea thought practically. Anything older than current would likely have a dead battery from having sat idle for ten years.

Then she spotted the nondescript black sedan. For being parked in the Royal Garage, this same car would have looked quite at home at a market or gas station—it was that generic. She knew it to be Cor's car from when he had been defacto ruler of Insomnia. Leave it to him to not go for all the trappings of power, she thought bemusedly.

"That one should run," she pointed out to Ignis. "Cor was using it a short while ago. But, I don't know where the keys are…"

"That's quite all right. I can handle this," Ignis replied, briskly walking up to the car and hotwiring it with smooth efficiency.

Aranea had no clue how Ignis knew how to do that—he had always seemed to follow the rules to a tee. How the hell did he know how to steal a car? But then, she had already found out he had unexpected depths…

"Wow! That's so cool," Lux piped up. "Can you teach me how to do that," he asked Ignis.

"No," Ignis replied, in tones that brooked no argument.

Lux looked a bit sulky at the response, but clambered into the back seat, leaving Aranea to ride shotgun.

She glanced at Ignis. How should she react to him now? The kiss between them had been earth-shattering, and changed everything between them. How should she handle Ignis now that she knew how much passion lurked beneath his cool exterior; and after revealing so much of her own passion to him? She was taught to never show weakness lest it be used against you one day, and her loss of control in his arms definitely counted as weakness. It made her feel, almost vulnerable.

Not that she had felt that way in his arms. There she had felt safe, strong. Ignis would never hurt her, and was somebody she would be free to love without restraint. She broke off from that thought—love had no place in her reality, especially not now. That just gave her more to lose, more ways to be hurt. But, even as she shied away from it, she knew it was true. She had known him for ten years—not only that but she had felt a, connection, with him, like he was different from every other man she had ever met. She had been with him through sickness and health, adversity and triumpth. Hell, she might as well have already been married to him. And if he kissed her again, she knew she would succumb.

With one kiss, everything between them had changed. Now, she didn't know what to do with him, how to talk to him, what to say to him. She was as tongue-tied as any awkward adolescent. Even her prosaic instructions, like telling him about Cor's car, had sounded high-pitched and breathless. And now being trapped in a car with him, sitting in awkward silence combined with Lux's silent sulkiness, was slowly driving her mad.

The refugees had escaped, so there were no further traffic trying to leave the city. However, abandoned cars were a problem. There were many times when a street was totally blocked by them, so Ignis was forced to make a Y turn and return the way he came. He made these tricky manuvers with the same smooth efficiency he always did on everything.

Aranea serripitiously surveyed his profile. Was she making too much about what had happened between them? If it had affected him as much as it did her, shouldn't he be acting differently? Instead, he was acting the same as usual. Maybe the kiss meant nothing to him, she thought with a flash of embarrassed horror. Maybe it had just been a spur of the moment thing that he now regretted. But then, Ignis never did anything without thinking it through…

After being blocked again, Ignis gave up. "Hold on everyone. It may be a bit bumpy from here on in."

On the heels of that, he swerved the car up onto the sidewalk and used that as his road. Aranea flinched at the grating sound of the side mirror snagging against a mailbox.

"When can I learn how to drive," Lux piped up from the back.

"Not for a few more years, I'm afraid," Ignis replied affably. "And when you do, you will _not_ be driving like this."

"But, what if I'm like trying to rescue a crime boss's daughter from hordes of enemy thugs? And they have guns and katanas and stuff. I would _need_ to drive like that in that case, right," Lux asked.

"That sounds like a specific use case, but under those circumstances, I imagine driving like this would be acceptable," Ignis replied wryly.

After seeing Lux's smug grin in the rearview mirror, Ignis was compelled to add to his comment. "Before you become the protector of damsels, come to me. I'd rather have the chance to teach you the proper way to drive like a maniac before you attempt it yourself."

"You, you mean that," Lux replied, awestruck, as though being offered driving lessons from a Crownsguard was the biggest honor he could ever receive.

"Indeed. But, only if you are involving yourself in action stories," Ignis replied dryly.

Lux seemed happy with that answer.

"I, think I saw the movie you were talking about, Lux" Aranea replied dryly, and proceeded to describe what she remembered of it, complete with crime bosses, katana ninjas, and car chases.

"That's the one," Ignis replied before Lux could, causing them both to glance at him.

"It's one of Prompto's favorites too," Ignis replied. "You should hear the pithy comments he makes to it whenever he watches it. You'd think he hates it the way he mocks all the plot holes, but he really adores it."

"Of course _Prompto_ likes it," Aranea mocked. "Is there anything you like," she taunted.

Ignis's gaze met hers with a heat that brought her back to the bedroom in the Citadel. "I think you know the answer to that, Aranea," he replied, his voice so low it made Aranea shiver. "And for your information, I do like that movie. Especially the action scenes." Then he smiled. It was not a superior smirk, or a cheeky grin. It was warm, intimate, and just for her.

Aranea stared at him. The awkwardness between them was gone. The kiss had not changed anything—well it had changed _some_ things, but it did not make the planet start spinning backwards or anything. Their relationship was just as it always was, with the warmth of requited passion beneath for added, welcome spice. The passion was not a weakness, but a strength. It forged their bond, the comfort of a decade-old camaraderie fused to affection. Aranea could live with this. She just had to hope they lived to see the end of battle.


	43. Chapter 43: Truth in Legend

**Happy July everyone! Here's another (hopefully exciting) installment :) Thanks for sticking with the story and for reading as always!**

* * *

"It seems like we've been at this for days," Noctis complained after jumping over seemingly the thousandth flame jet.

"There'd better be a way to turn these off or else we are screwed on the way down," Cor replied.

"The more of these we go through, the more hope I have that there is something here," Luna replied brightly. "There wouldn't be this much of a barrier if there wasn't something."

"Hmph. I'm glad you're so hopeful, Highness," Cor replied cynically. "I for one have plenty of experiences with fool's errands."

"Woah! Is that the entrance to the shrine," Noctis replied awestruck, peering at the path ahead of them.

There was an archway carved into the mountain. Flagstones etched with runes and encrusted with red magicite surrounded the entrance arch. The craftsmanship was old, exquisite, and was radiating something mystical.

"How the hell did you miss this," Cor demanded. "Weren't you up here?"

"You told us to go after Royal Tombs as I recall," Noctis replied defensively. "The tomb was on the other side of the mountain."

Cor blinked at the response. "I suppose you are right," he finally conceded. Luna, you've been here before, right? Any traps we should know about?"

"I would have said no, but then, these jets weren't here last time," she replied.

"Let's go in cautiously," Noctis replied.

Cor smirked. "Ignis is rubbing off on you, it seems."

"I've changed a lot in ten years," was Noctis's only reply.

Despite the caution, Noctis knew full well that his attention was wandering as he couldn't help but gape at his surroundings in awestruck fascination. The walls of the cave were of the same craftsmanship as the archway. However, in this case, instead of runes, there were glyphs and pictures.

Luna frowned at the glyphs.

"Can you read them," Noctis asked.

"The, language is old, but it resembles the symbols the Oracles used to put on the havens. I, think I can give it a go."

"Make it fast," Cor replied. "My warrior senses are screaming that there is something bad in here."

Luna scanned the walls, fingering the symbols to attempt to understand them faster.

"It is a legend," she finally said. "Ifrit was the God of flame destruction. But he was not the only divine being who could wield the power of fire. Rubicant and his sister Amaterasu were fellow wielders." Luna pointed to one of the panels. "This panel here talks about Rubicant's armor. Rubicant knew he was weak against ice magic, so he labored and toiled to create armor to protect himself against ice. Ifrit was in love with Shiva, but any physical union between the two was made impossible due to his being pure fire and her being pure ice. He coveted Rubicant's armor, and slew him to obtain it." She pointed to some pictures depicting some kind of epic battle.

"The more I hear about Ifrit the more I hate him," Cor replied.

"In this case Ifrit got what he wanted. He got the armor, and consequently was able to consort with Shiva."

"The bad guy prospers. That sucks," Noctis added his bit to the story.

"It gets worse," Luna replied, pointing to the next panel. "Amaterasu was a generous fire being, and admired humans. As such, she bequeathed us with the ability to harness fire. We all know how Ifrit feels about humans, and I think you can guess how he felt about someone taking his destructive power of fire and giving it to the beings he hated."

"I doubt I am going to like this," Noctis replied darkly.

Luna winced. "I agree. Ifrit took away her name and identity, and imprisoned her for all eternity. Ever after, she became known as the Flame Damsel. There are other stories here about other Gods and special humans attempting to release her, but as you can see, they were unsuccessful." She pointed to repeated panels of reclining forms surrounded by onyx gems, apparently to symbolize they had been burned to cinders.

Luna removed her hands from the wall as if disgusted. "In my focus on receiving Ifrit's blessing, I did not even look at these. I, can't believe I came to such a being for a blessing. He is a monster."

"Well, knowledge equals power sometimes," Noctis said bracingly. "Let's see what else this house of horrors has in store for us."

They made their way forward, trap free. It was almost more disconcerting than when there had been traps. It was as though an ominious silence had taken shape in this cave, and that it was watching them, waiting to strike.

The tunnel opened into a gigantic space. Noctis guessed that this was right below the crater he had been in on his last journey. This space looked like a church, if the church had been built by fiends. There were pews carved out of stone, encircling the space to focus on a raised altar in the middle.

The hollowed out round space was supported by pillars of red magicite and onyx evidently symbolizing the red flames and scorches of black.

"As Prompto would say, there is _so_ going to be a big nasty here," Noctis commented.

"I'm inclined to agree," Cor replied.

"There looks to be some kind of, sarcophagus, on the altar," Luna piped up tentatively. "I, don't remember it being here last time."

"And what do you suppose happens if we try to look at it," Cor commented.

"I'm guessing something very bad," Noctis replied. "Do you want to spring this obvious trap?"

"Not really, but if it is Ifrit in there, it would be satisfying to disturb his rest, wouldn't you say," was Cor's response.

"It seems a shame to come all this way and not pursue it to the end," Luna commented as way of approval.

"Fair enough. Get ready everyone," Noctis said, then strode forward to the ornate stone box.

The instant he stepped up to the altar, they heard an ear-splitting shriek that reverberated through the entire room.

"The box has a guard. Get ready," Cor said as they saw flames begin sliding down from the ceiling. Whatever it was, was dropping down like a spider from above.

The trio readied themselves for battle.

* * *

"Welp, this is as far as this sucker goes," Cid told his passengers as the fire engine began laboring on the muddy roads approaching the Vesperpool. It was evident that it would get stuck in the mud if the went any further.

Giadio, Prompto, Holly, Cindy, and Talcott clambered out and took stock of their surroundings.

"Why is it every time we are here it's raining," Prompto whined.

"That's not how I remember it," Gladio replied.

"Well yeah. You weren't even here. You were doing a mission solo as I remember it," Prompto replied.

"Oh yeah you're right," Gladio conceded.

"Whatever it is you're doin', I'll stay here," Cid cut in. "The damp does no good for ma back."

"What exactly are we doing," Holly asked.

"Just, lookin around, I guess," Gladio replied uncertainly. The orders from Noctis had been to check out the Vesperpool, but they had nothing to go on beyond that.

"So, we just circle the lake, and see if we see any signs of Iris and Ardyn," Prompto asked.

"Sounds good enough to me," Holly said, brightly. "Let's go. Cindy, you coming with?"

Prompto looked at Gladio, expecting him to push down this idea and make the ladies stay behind. To his surprise, Gladio simply said, "the more the merrier, that is, if you can keep up with us." The latter was spoken as a challenge that made Holly sniff haughtily.

"If we can't we go back. As simple as that," she said coolly.

Gladio countered with a smug smirk. "Well I'd rather have you with us where we can keep an eye on you than have you follow us yourselves and get in trouble," he added with a condescension that made Holly want to slap his face. "You have weapons," he demanded. "Things could get dangerous."

"I got this," Holly replied, unveiling a device from her pocket that confused everyone.

"Is that, a taser," Gladio asked, giving the weapon a contemptous glance.

"You could say that, except this baby hits with the power of a high tension wire in a thunderstorm. You're talkin' fried enemies, not shocked ones with this thing. I made it myself," Holly replied smugly. "And given all the water around here, I think you will find any foes won't do well against electricity."

"Hmm. You've got a point there. What do you got, Cindy," Gladio asked.

Cindy did look at little sheepish. "Welp, what I've got isn't as fancy as Holly's here, but I do have my toolbox with me. You get hit with one of my high guage wrenches you aint' goin' nowhere! Plus I've got some potions and stuff in here."

"Hey don't knock that, Cindy," Prompto said brightly. "Tools are my secondary weapons as well. I've saved Noctis's ass with one many times."

"Yeah. Who needs a gun when you can just bludgeon someone with a hammer," Cindy replied, just as brightly, just to get a surprised look from Prompto.

"Man, Cindy. I didn't realize you were so bloodthirsty. Now I'm worried what will happen if I ever get on your bad side," Prompto replied nervously.

Cindy smirked and said, "well that's easy. Just don't get on my bad side."

"I'm so glad you are coming with us, Cindy," Prompto replied. "This wasn't the date I had in mind, but it'll be fun."

Cindy chuckled. "Well you know me. Nothin' fancy for this gal."

Prompto stared back at her, mooning over his beloved, just to be interrupted by Gladio's derisive snort.

"If you two are done flirting, we need to get going," Gladio said gruffly. "Talcott, you up to staying with the old man?"

Talcot nodded in agreement while Cid grumbled, "I may be old but I don't need a keeper."

"We won't be long," Gladio told his rear guard.

"Hmph, I've heard that before," Cid replied cynically.

The quartet left the relative shelter of the truck and began making their circuit around the lake.

* * *

"So, Noctis and Luna, and the guys are alive," Wedge asked Ravus for seemingly the 50th time.

Ravus gave up trying to explain. He didn't know how else he could make their situation any clearer.

"So, now you know why I'm looking for Miss Iris, and Ardyn Izunia," Ravus finally demanded to get back to the point.

"Blimey. Can't believe that bloke is back too," Wedge said.

"Indeed. That's a name I never wanted to 'ear again," Biggs amended.

"We 'aven't seen anyone matching their description or Ifrit's come through 'ere," Wedge added. "Not sure what to tell ye."

Ravus clenched his jaw in an effort to control his temper. It seemed that he had wasted his time coming here. And while he stood here idle, Iris was in Ardyn's vile clutches. And if that son of a bitch was planning on giving her to Ifrit…

He must not have been hiding his temper very well. Wedge was staring at him in (unwanted) sympathy and said, "sorry for the wasted trip, Sir F. But Ardyn wouldn't bring 'er to a place like this."

Ravus didn't think "Sir F" was any faster to say than his own name was, but Wedge's words made him pause. He remembered Wedge had served alongside Aranea while she had served Ardyn. He may know more of what drove Ardyn than Ravus did.

"What do you mean by that," Ravus demanded.

"That Ardyn bloke is a flamboyant bastard. 'e likes to make statements. Do ye really think 'e would carry Iris off and 'old 'er in a forgotten place like this without telling anyone? If I can be so bold as to 'azard a guess. Ardyn 'as Iris somewere in plain sight, not in the dregs of the Imperial Continent."

Ravus stopped to think. Wedge had a point. Ardyn liked to gloat whenever he had the upper hand, like what he had done when he stabbed Luna. Ardyn would have Iris somewhere much more high profile to make his point. But where was that, and what point was he trying to make?

The fact that they had not heard anything from him yet was, unsettling. Ardyn should have gloated that he had her in his power days ago, and taunted them with it. But he had not. He was either searching for Ifrit like they were, or he was holding Iris somewhere in reserve until he could play her as some kind of twisted pawn.

Would Ardyn be that rash to confront Ifrit on his own? Would he really be foolish enough to think that giving Iris over to Ifrit would protect him? Ardyn was many things, but he was not an idiot. Ravus's gut was telling him Ardyn was holding Iris in reserve somewhere.

But then, where was that? Ardyn wasn't the type to hang out in the wilderness—he professed to hating the great outdoors. He'd have her somewhere urban then. Lestallum? Gladio would have found them by now and reported in. Insomnia? Ditto with Ignis and Aranea. What was left? The answer hit Ravus like a fist in the gut. Altissia. That was the only place they hadn't yet searched. And Ardyn had a penchant for causing trouble there. If nothing else, it was a lead that Ravus had to follow.

"I need to get to Altissia right away," Ravus said to Biggs and Wedge.

Biggs took his hat off awkwardly. "Well. That is kind of a problem right now. Only convoys are travellin' the seas these days what with the sea monsters and all."

Ravus felt a chill slide down his spine.

"So, there is something to the rumors of sea monsters," he asked.

"Yeah. Lately stronger beasts 'ave been appearin' in the waterways. Not daemons, but large angry marks. "'Unters aren't very good at dealin' with water-based marks, so they are largely unchecked."

"Why now," Ravus demanded.

"Dunno. Some of the mystics around here wonder if it's because Leviathan is injured or dead. Guess the Oracle lore says part of Leviathan's role is to keep the waterways free of monsters. If she's fallin' down on the job, somethin' is wrong."

"In any case," Wedge spoke up, "the next convoy is due in in two days time. It makes the run from 'ere to Altissia. If you can wait till it gets 'ere then sail out with it, it should get you there. Best we can do. Sorry."

Ravus sighed. There seemed to be no help for it.

"Well. Since I'm stuck here for two days, might as well make myself useful. Any rebuilding effort activities I can help you out with?"

Biggs and Wedge looked at each other in amusement. "Oh, I think we 'ave plenty to keep you busy if you are bored and all…"

* * *

Sailing excursions were supposed to fun, times of camaraderie and scintillating conversations with one's shipmates. Iris and Ardyn's certainly wasn't. Iris kept her eyes focused on the waves ahead, keeping the wheel going straight, and keeping an eye on where the sun was in the sky. She knew as long as they kept heading south she would see Altissia eventually.

Ardyn sat in the back of the boat keeping mercifully silent, which was quite unusual for him actually. Iris glanced behind her to see if he was sleeping, but his eyes were still alert, evidently making sure she wasn't trying to pull a fast one. If she did, it would be because she got lost, not from intent.

She had not seen any other boats lately—what she thought had been bobbing lights of boats were actually buoys. They passed one now, and Ardyn gave it a wary look. "I say, I've seen more festive buoys than this," he commented idly.

He did have a point. The only buoys Iris had ever seen tended to be on beaches and were brightly colored to mark where swimmers could swim and where boaters could sail. This buoy was bright red, but was also marked with neon green (probably glow in the dark) skull and crossbone logos. That sign was the mariner's worst nightmare. What did it mean?

She couldn't help but glance at Ardyn questioningly. He merely rose an eyebrow. "I doubt this means pirates plague these waters," he replied to her silent question. "I think you should keep us going at full speed and maneuver us as far away from here as possible."

"Tell me something I don't know," Iris said, pulling the throttle to its maximum setting and propelling them forward.

"How about there is something chasing us? Did you know that," Ardyn said tartly over the noise of the engine.

Iris turned to see what the hell he was talking about, and her soul shriveled. There was indeed something chasing them. Was it a whale, a fish, a shark? Iris didn't know. All she saw was the gigantic mud-brown creature streaking behind them, toothy mouth open and bearing down on their boat. The boat hadn't seemed tiny before, but compared to the bite radius of the thing behind them, it sure was. This creature could probably bite the ship in half in one bite. Not to mention what it would do to them…

They were already going at full speed, and it was gaining on them. At this rate, it would overtake them long before they reached Altissia. As if to taunt them further, a landmass began appearing on the far horizon. Their goal was now in sight, but they would be devoured before they could even think about making it.

Ardyn was facing the approaching predator, sizing up its razor sharp teeth and slimy gums dripping with algae and who knew what else. "Now, why couldn't you be a daemon," he taunted it. It was at times like this he wished he were still immortal.

Ardyn lurched back as the creature lunged. Its teeth grazed the back of the ship with the grating sound of stone sliding against metal. A rogue wave shifted the boat aside just enough to twist its stern out of the path of the beast's teeth for the barest moment.

"Our only chance is to get into shallower water," Iris cut in desparately. "Do something to stall him or else we are going to be eaten alive."

"I do hope this works," Ardyn replied. "Otherwise, ending up as fish waste is not the most glamorous way to go." And with that he raised his hands and summoned dark energy as he had before the boat captain. He did not use the sleep spell this time. A petrify spell streamed from his hands, hitting the fish point blank.

Ardyn watch in smug satisfaction as the spell radiated outward, turning the fish from mud-brown to stone gray. He left nothing to chance and hit the fish again on the other side with the same spell. Stone rapidly encased the fish from both sides, rolling over it, changing it from deadly fish to stone statue.

The fish couldn't take the weight and began sinking, trapped in its stone cage. Ardyn didn't care about animals, but he had to dispassionately admit it was a horrible way to go.

Iris wached, aghast, as the creature slipped under the waves and completely disappeared.

"How the hell did you do that," she demanded.

Ardyn looked at his hands as if they belonged to someone else. He had never been able to use the petrify spell before. If he had, his 'conquest' ten years ago would have ended much differently. He had Lux to thank for it—ever since Ardyn had 'healed' him, he had felt the petrify magic swirling within him waiting for an outlet. Admittedly a "boss fight" as dear Prompto would have called it, was not the time to break in a new skill, but it seemed to have worked. He wasn't about to tell Iris that though.

"Why, the same way I took care of the boat captain," Ardyn replied smugly. "And I could do the same to you, just in case defiance comes to mind at any point," he added affably, with a dark edge.

Iris seemed genuinely disturbed. "I will keep hauling ass in case that spell wears off and that fish attacks us again. Hold on."

The jewel-toned stucco buildings of Altissia began to take shape as the boat made its way ever closer to the port city. Iris made a shuddering sigh of relief as she stopped the boat at the dock and Ardyn tied it to the red and white pole. Their relief was short-lived as a line of guards lined the pier before them, hands on their swords.

"By order of First Secretary Camelia Claustra, one Ardyn Izunia and Iris Amiticia are hereby arrested for threats against Altissia. You are to come with us, and any resistance will be dealt with to the highest level of retaliation."

Iris stared, appalled at the scene before them. After all of this, she was going to be executed?

Ardyn stepped forward, and bowed with full flourish, scraping his fedora against the floor of the boat.

"Brave soldiers of Altissia! I commend you for your devotion to your duty," he oozed, then rose, looking them dead in the eye. "However, as you know who I am, you already know what I am capable of, and I do not need an army to do it. Just little old me," he added with an edge of steel that made the soldiers instinctively back up a moment, before readying their swords.

"Don't do this," Iris begged. She wasn't even sure if she was begging Ardyn or the guards.

"All I ask is an audience with Her Excellence," Ardyn commanded smoothly.

The guards glanced at each other uneasily. The lead one gulped and made the decision for them all. "As you have been accused of a crime, the Law of Altissia states that you be given the opportunity to face your accuser. As the First Secretary has made the order, by right, you may meet with her. However, know that you will be watched, and anything you do will be dealt with quickly and harshly. And, even if you think you are a match for us, let me assure you you are no match against our elite forces."

Ardyn nodded in understanding. "Come, Iris," he said, offering his arm like a courtier of old. "Our audience with 'royalty' awaits."


	44. Chapter 44: Fish Stories

**Hi All! I have another chapter ready! I hope you don't think this story has worn out its welcome-I know it's getting pretty long and is the longest story I have written yet. I'm still having a lot of fun writing it and seeing where it goes, so I don't want to end it for awhile. Thanks a bunch for sticking with it, and hope you like where it's going.**

* * *

The air became more humid as Aranea, Ignis, and Lux made their way towards Cape Caem. Aranea could feel the stickiness even through the blasting air conditioner of the car. She had never been to this portion of Lucis before, but it was quite evident that Ignis had. He maneuvered the winding roads with a familiarity that surprised her. Did he really remember every curve of the road after ten years of no vision?

She glanced at him in frustration mixed with admiration. How could he approach everything with such suave competence? Was there anything that was outside his comfort zone, or beyond his skill? For one mad moment, she wanted to bring him down to her level, to be able to fluster him. To pass the time, she thought of ways she could try to. However, she stopped quickly as she realized how increasingly lurid her thoughts were becoming. "Damn it," she thought in frustration. She had to get Ignis off her mind. They had a job to do, and more kisses and touches had no part of it. And if they were ever to a point where they were, well, that was something Aranea refused to dream about right now.

Ignis's eyes narrowed as they reached the side road leading to the lighthouse. "That car looks quite familiar," he commented.

Aranea turned to glance at the nondescript rental vehicle. "Yeah! That was one of the ones we took to Insomnia," she ventured.

"Indeed. Unless Noct is here, I suspect we have located our quarry," Ignis replied, voice hard.

"We should call Noctis right now," Aranea returned.

"Not yet. We need to see what we are dealing with first. Once we have enough facts, we can go from there."

"And if we end up in a confrontation with Ardyn on our own, what then," Aranea demanded.

Ignis shrugged. "Would you prefer to have Iris in his clutches while we wait for the others, or try to do something now," he asked, coldly logical.

He had her there.

Ignis turned to Lux. "Would you mind waiting in the car while we check things out? It could be a bit, dicey, and you would be better off in the car."

"No way! If Iris is in trouble, I want to help her," Lux replied decisively.

"Think about your choice carefully, lad," Ignis said intently. "You need to think about what you can do if a fight occurs and whether you feel up to fighting."

"You've been through enough," Aranea added her bit to the persuasion. "Take a break here. We will be back shortly."

Lux looked at the two of them in disbelief. "I've seen enough movies to know that whenever you tell somebody to stay behind, the person who tries to shield them from danger ends up over their heads and needs the other person. I like Iris, and I don't want Ardyn to hurt her anymore. You can't make me stay here," he added with a decisiveness that made him seem older than he was.

Aranea had to remember that Lux had encountered more darkness than a kid his age should have. He wasn't just some fragile kid to defend. He deserved more than that, and if he wanted to come with them, she couldn't stand in his way.

"Ok," she said. "Stick with us. But if any point you feel you are in over your head, run away. We may not be able to protect you."

Lux nodded in understanding, and they made their way forward.

Ignis stiffened as he heard a sound. He held his hand up, sharply to get Aranea and Lux to stop.

"What is—" Aranea asked softly, but not softly enough for Ignis's taste. He quickly put a hand over her mouth to stop her, and glared Lux into silence.

Then they all heard it. It sounded like something was growling.

Everyone knew what to do now. They crept forward, weapons drawn, in total silence, towards the noise. Lux was unarmed and stayed behind them, looking around, ready to alert them if they were being flanked.

They traced the sound to its source, and stopped, bemused. Whatever they were expecting was not the grizzled man sleeping soundly on a patch of sea grass. What they thought had been growling was actually snoring.

As they glanced to each other, questioning what to do next, the man stirred, then opened his eyes and blinked owlishly at them.

"Who the hell are you," was his surly greeting.

"Apologies," Ignis replied, as debonair as usual. "We thought you were, someone else."

"Who else would you be expectin' in a forgotten place like this. Except if it was that creep and his date?"

Aranea's gaze sharpened. "Creep and his date? What did they look like?"

The man scratched his head. "The girl was cute enough I suppose if you like skinny brunettes. She's way too young for the man though. He has to be twice her age and wanted to 'impress' her by taking her fishing. They'd be eaten up if they tried."

"What do you mean," Ignis asked at the same time as Aranea asked, "Was the man red-haired and wearing a fedora?"

"What do you want me to answer first," the man asked grumpily, but then decided on his own based on what he personally thought was more important.

"The ocean is infested with sea monsters these days. A giant shark hangs out just achin' to eat up any fishing boat that comes its way. Most fishermen stay out of the seas, which just leaves me with no competition in the fishing lanes. I know where it's safe to fish," he said smugly. "But if you think I'm going to share my hard-earned knowledge with some sugar daddy and his mistress, think again."

"What's a 'sugar daddy'," Lux asked, totally clueless.

The captain noticed for the first time there was a kid there, and actually flushed in embarrassment. "I, didn't mean nothin' by that," he said in an effort to brush it aside.

Lux wasn't dissuaded and looked to Aranea expectantly, waiting for her to clear up something he didn't understand.

Aranea sighed, embarrassed and took Lux aside to explain to him, haltingly, what it meant.

"Oooh," he said in understanding. "But, why would an old guy want to hang out with a younger lady? I mean, what would they have in common and talk about?"

"Normally conversation has little to do with these relationships. It's usually because the older party is rich," Aranea replied.

"Oh, but then, what does he get out of it," Lux asked.

Now Aranea knew where the term, "out of the mouths of babes," came from. And how could she explain the true sordidness of such a relationship with a kid?

Lux was tenacious in his hunt for information. Aranea had to give him that. He was genuinely confused, and waited expectantly for a response.

"The man gets to feel that a young pretty lady has a crush on him," she finally said. "It does wonders for his vanity."

"Oooh," Lux said. "I still don't get it, but whatever," he finally said, giving up the line of questioning.

"You may understand when you're older," Aranea replied in relief. Then realized he might understand all too well one day, especially if he had some of Ardyn's genes in him. Ardyn was slime personified—she wouldn't put it past him to prefer those types of relationships.

But not with Iris though—Aranea knew that to a certainty. She hadn't seen them together much, granted, but from what she had seen, Ardyn tended to ignore her, and to reserve his most off-putting comments for the others. Especially herself, Aranea thought. If he weren't such a pathological liar, she'd have worried he was, attracted to her. Her gut twisted at the thought, but she knew he was just doing it to mess with her, because he could. The game wasn't as fun with Iris, which made her safe in that regard. And Aranea could handle his worst.

Were they wrong then? Was the boat captain talking about someone else?

Ignis was trying to figure out that exact question. "I assume you aren't talking about us," Ignis asked the man, voice hard.

"Well, right," the man said as though it were the most obvious thing in the word. "But I ain't tellin' _you_ either. The fishing lanes are mine right now, and I'm not about to share them with anyone else."

"Was this 'sugar daddy' red-haired and wearing a fedora," Aranea asked for confirmation, the very term 'sugar daddy' in the context of Ardyn leaving a bad taste in her mouth.

"Yeah. Wasn't really dressed for sailing either, unless he was planning on using his cloaks as a sail," the man chortled.

Aranea and Ignis looked at each other. They had their quarry for sure.

"How long ago was this," Ignis demanded.

"Hmm. Just after sunrise I think." Then he looked at the noonday sun startled. "What the hell happened? How the hell did I get here and why is it so late?"

And then, heedless of his audience, he sprinted downhill to the pier.

Ignis and Aranea were startled at his sudden move, but then followed him to the water.

Lux trailed behind, approaching the water with trepidation. The man had said there were monsters in the water. How close to shore were they? Did they come up on land and drag people away?

The man was standing at the empty pier, staring out at the sea.

"That oily bastard stole my boat," he sputtered in anger.

"You don't remember him doing this, then" Ignis asked coolly.

"No way! He must have knocked me out or something."

"Or put him to sleep," Aranea muttered to Ignis just to get a nod of confirmation in reply.

The man stamped around in impotent rage for a few minutes, but then calmed down into a smug smile. "Well at least that bastard got what's coming to him. That shark will eat'em up, boat and all. If my boat had to go down, at least it will take that asshole with it." The man continued in this vein, heedless of the fact that Ignis and Aranea had wandered off.

"Why would Ardyn take a fishing boat," Aranea asked. "It makes no sense."

Ignis scanned the horizon, and had the answer. "Altissia. He is taking Iris to Altissia."

"But, why?"

"Leviathan did say to get Ifrit there somehow. Perhaps Ardyn is using Iris as bait for that purpose?"

"You really think that bastard is doing this for a 'good' reason," Aranea spat contemptuously. "He's up to something nefarious. Mark my words."

"It may be a moot point, if what that man said about sea monsters is true," Ignis said coldly to get Aranea to calm down. It worked. Aranea had forgotten about that tidbit, and now went pale.

"You think the sea monster, got Ardyn and Iris," she asked in horror.

"I don't know. But we can't ignore this. We need to find a way across. With such a threat in play, I think we need reinforcements. We need Noct and the others."

"But, the longer we wait, the longer Iris is in danger," Aranea reminded him.

"I know," Ignis said gravely. "However, we will be no use to Iris if we are consumed by a sea monster on our way to her. We stand a better chance with more of us."

He didn't mention the other grim possibility that if Iris and Ardyn had been consumed, it didn't matter whether they rushed to her side anyway. However, it crossed Aranea's mind, and it made her sick. However, the logic was undeniable.

"Ok. Call Noctis. Looks like we've got a sea to cross."

"But, the shark thing," Lux spoke up.

"Unfortunately, I do not know of any alternatives," Ignis said gravely. "Unless you have an idea, lad."

Aranea glared at Ignis for putting Lux into such an untenable position, but it seemed to have worked. Lux shook his head.

"I get it. Monster-infested sea it is," he said, resigned, but with an edge of excitement in his tone as though he was enjoying the danger.

Aranea glanced at him in concern. "I'm beginning to think you are safer staying here," she told him.

"No way! Another thing I remember from the movies I've seen: you are left somewhere by yourself to be 'safe' and the monster comes for you instead. The only way we win is if we stick together," Lux said firmly.

Ignis and Aranea looked at each other. "I'm beginning to think we need to limit his tv privileges," Aranea muttered to Ignis, dryly.

Ignis smirked. "Actually, what he is saying isn't wrong. I think his tv time is actually helping him," he whispered back conspiratorialy.

"I'll be sure to tell Noctis and Prompto that you said that the next time we see them," Aranea said, teasingly. "They'd love validation that what they do in their spare time is actually educational."

Ignis shrugged. "Go ahead. Although, I would think you'd be more interested in your own spare time than theirs."

Aranea studied him intently, looking for some kind of double meaning to that statement. He merely stared back innocently, but with a flicker in his gaze that made her feel that there was something in that comment that she was missing. Before she could question him further, he withdrew his phone from his pocket, and called Noctis to no avail, then Gladio and Ravus. All connections failed.

"It's not getting through," he said. "I will send a text and hope they get back into phone range soon. For now, we wait."

They sat under the trees as far away from the shore as they could get, and waited for reinforcements.

* * *

"Man. I don't remember the Vesperpool smelling this bad the last time we came through," Prompto commented, wrinkling at his nose at the stench. Now that he looked at it, it looked much worse too. From what he remembered of it, it had always been a clear lake. It had a few reeds on the edges, but then, any lake did.

Now it was stagnant and covered with thick green sludgy algae. Any water that could be seen through the muck was a dull muddy brown. And the water smelled like a garbage dump in the middle of summer.

Holly was studying it too. "Yeah something is wrong. Lestallum gets a lot of its water here. I have never seen it this bad. I hope our treatment plant can clean it up."

Gladio was staring at it warily. "Anyone else getting a bad feeling from it?"

"Like what," Prompto snarked back. "You think some big baddie is going to lurch out and…"

"Aaaah!"

They all turned sharply towards Cindy's scream.

She was being dragged through the slimy water by an unseen force.

"Get this flippin' tentacle offa me," she demanded, flailing desperately in an attempt to get free. She was stuck though—the brown tentacle was wrapped around her waist, dragging her further away from shore.

"Cindy," Prompto exclaimed in alarm then, heedless of the grossness of the water, swam in after his beloved.

"Your guns get wet they're useless," Gladio called after him, just to be ignored.

Prompto swam up to the light of his life.

"You ok," he asked her.

"I would be if y'all got somethin' to cut this thing with."

Prompto reached into his pockets, just to emerge with his pistol.

"That won't work," Cindy said.

"Don't worry. I'm a good shot," Prompto said, targeting the tentacle sidelong as it dragged in the water.

"Bullets ricochet offa water," Cindy warned him. "You shoot you kill us both no matter how good you are."

"I got this," Prompto said, with a cocky self-assurance of a man who knew what he was doing.

Just before he could pull the trigger, the creature tugged, causing him to lose his balance for a moment, and drop his gun into the water. With the sudden reduced weight, the creature pulled again, causing Cindy to get dragged closer to the middle of the lake with a sudden burst of speed.

Forget the gun, Prompto thought desperately then threw himself after Cindy, getting an arm around her chest and holding on with all his might.

Apparently the tentacle couldn't take the weight of two people. It stopped again. There was nothing they could do to use that to their advantage though. Prompto was weaponless and had to use both arms to hold onto Cindy.

"You know you are holding onto my boobs, right," Cindy couldn't help commenting.

"Sorry! I can try shifting my grip if you'd like," Prompto said.

"Don't you dare," she snapped back. "You let go of me, this thing drags me to hell. Grope away."

"Way to make me embarrassed," he replied, flustered.

"If you are serious about me, you need to get over that," Cindy replied, archly.

"Now's kinda not the time for this," Prompto said, shyly. "Got any ideas?"

"I'm thinkin'," she replied.

"What do we do," Holly asked Gladio from their vantage point on the shore. "I could zap the bastard, but electricity being what it is, I'd fry everyone."

"We get them out of the water, then you zap the hell out of it," Gladio said sharply. "Stay here while I help them." Then he prepared to leap in after them.

"Wait," Holly said, putting her arm around him. "Your sword will weigh you down in there. You'll drown!"

"Then I guess I do this the old fashioned way," he replied gruffly, removing his sword and scabbard as though it were useless junk, then leapt into the water after Prompto.

The creature, or whatever it was, seemed to be getting smarter, or was just used to the weight of two people on its tentacle now. It would tug then stop.

"It's like it's fishing, and we're the catch of the day," Prompto hollered out after a particularly vicious tug.

"Shut up," Gladio snapped, then swam up to the tentacle, grabbed it with both hands and tried to pull it apart with all his might. It was like trying to rip a wet washcloth in half. It took all of Gladio's effort, but he was rewarded when the tentacle split, freeing Cindy. She still had the second half around her waist, but being away from the main body was enough freedom for now.

"Swim like hell," Gladio ordered. "Where there is one tentacle there are usually more."

Prompto continued holding Cindy, and the two of them swam together to the shore.

"Don't look back," Prompto ordered. "You know that's what always gets people right? Just focus on shore and getting there as fast as you can."

Gladio stayed behind to cover their escape. The creature tried to grab Gladio with another tentacle, but with Gladio's brute strength able to rip it apart, it didn't stand a chance.

Once Cindy and Prompto made it back to shore, they high tailed it to higher ground.

Holly stayed behind on the shore, watching until Gladio made it to shore as well. He halted his retreat to higher ground by bending to pick up his sword.

"I'm ready for it now," he growled once he had strapped on his sword.

"The way I see it you were were ready for him in the water," Holly commented with a twinge of admiration. "Get to higher ground. I'll fry this bastard."

"You'll fry yourself! You're too close to the water!"

"Please, give me a little credit," Holly replied. "Now off with you," she said, pushing him further away from the water. He grudgingly complied, standing a fair distance back.

"Here goes nothing," Holly said, then turned her taser on and flung it with all her might into the water.

The "zap" it made was so loud it was as though a power transformer had been struck by lightning. Veins of electricity radiated throughout the water. If there had been fish in the lake, it would have been an ecological disaster. However, the fish were all gone. The only creature that floated to the murky surface, smoking like a fried fish, was what had attacked them. A gigantic squid with a mouth that could have eaten them like candy if they had allowed it to.

Its body was an unnatural neon green, the tentacles mud brown, camouflaging with the water.

"That was the thing that grabbed me," Cindy commented. Then she couldn't help but shudder in delayed reaction. Prompto was there to put his arm around her and hold her until she righted herself.

"Not bad," Gladio said to Holly.

"Aw it was nothin' compared to ripping it apart with your bare hands," Holly replied.

Gladio smirked. "What can I say? I'm strong as an ox."

"And arrogant as an ass it seems," Holly quipped back.

"I prefer 'confident in my own abilities,'" Gladio replied. "And they say women like confidence. Do you," he asked, a note of suggestion in his tone that made Holly blush.

She looked away, declining to answer.

"Do you," Gladio asked again from behind her, voice low, almost shy, as though he were suddenly unsure of himself.

She turned to face him. "I like confidence, but also somebody who isn't afraid to admit their insecurities. You are coming close to that right now," she replied, almost shyly on her side as well.

Gladio smiled—not a smirk, but a sweet, relieved smile that Holly loved. She opened her arms to let Gladio embrace her…

"Do you think we need to look around anymore," Prompto cut in, ruining the moment. "I mean, do we really think Ardyn will be here? He always said he hated the outdoors."

Gladio looked at Prompto in surprise. "Yeah he did say that didn't he? Why the hell are we even here? There's no chance in hell that Ifrit or Ardyn would be here."

"Now you think of that," Cindy said, dryly, doing her best to squeeze the gross water out of her ballcap.

The beleaguered party made their way back to the fire engine.

"What in tarnation? You guys go swimmin' or somethin'" was Cid's surly greeting.

"We should go back to Lestallum, freshen up, then call Noct, see what's going on," Gladio said.

It was not much of a plan, but it was all they had for now.


	45. Chapter 45: Fire and Water

**Hi Everyone! Hope your July is going well. I have another follower on this story! Welcome to the party, Hd2018! The next chapter is here too! Hope you all like it and thanks for reading as always.**

* * *

Noctis, Luna, and Cor stared up at the cavernous ceiling of Ifrit's shrine, taking in the shrieking being dropping down in a blaze of heat and flames. It was not Ifrit, but Cor had the sinking feeling that it would give them the same problems Ifrit had.

Cor believed in calling things as he saw them, no matter how trite. And this, thing, was a a flame spider. Huge body easily ten feet long, surrounded with eight flaming legs that would strike with the force of burning debris. Its incessant shrieking was enough to rattle the cavern—it was a toss up whether the spider would kill them or if the shrine would collapse on top of them.

"Any ideas," he called out to his comerades.

"Just one," Noctis replied, and warped up, sword ready to strike at its body.

The creature screamed again and flailed one leg in a desparate attempt to fight back. It hit Noctis right in the gut, or would have if Luna had not put up a shield at the last minute. Noctis, unable to control his descent, began falling to the ground. Cor caught him so they both landed in an ungainly heap.

"Any ideas that work," Cor snapped in response.

Luna was standing between them and the foe, keeping her shield up as the spider began tapping it with its legs, trying to find an opening.

"You doing ok there, Luna," Noctis demanded in concern.

"I can keep this up awhile, but not forever," she snapped back, then began scanning the being in earnest. It was hard to tell through the flames and the heat-shimmering air that surrounded the spider, but its body didn't look right, by a spider's standards anyway.

Rather than being round, it was more, curvy. It almost looked like a human woman's body actually. The spider spun around sharply, trying to break the shield, and Luna got a good look at it. It was indeed a "human" woman's body with eight legs attached to it. It, well she, even had long black hair that seemed to be made of cinders and ash. Some of it dropped from her head like ash on the tip of a cigarette as she moved.

"Amaterasu," Luna whispered, awestruck.

The spider woman temporarily froze. Its gaze, not the thousand-eyed gaze of a spider, but the two-eyed gaze of a human, fixed on Luna—a flash of recognition. Cor used this as a window of opportunity and lunged forward, slashing at one of the legs with brute strength.

If they thought Amaterasu's screams were loud before, it was nothing like now. The leg, dismembered from the body, fell to the ground with a chilling thump, as though a dead body had crash landed to the ground. The leg turned to ash and withered away into charred powder.

In response to the blow, Amaterasu retreated to the ceiling. Her flames slowly extinguished, changing her color from orange to jet black, camouflaging with the shadows of the ceiling.

"Do you think she retreated," Luna asked.

Cor was staring up, eyes narrowed. "No, I think not," he said darkly.

They didn't see the black form climbing on the wall behind them with predatory intent until it was too late.

"Oh shit," Noctis called out as his leg was caught in a black silk web, yanking him up to hang upside down from the ceiling. His sword clanged uselessly to the floor. He flailed and writhed in an attempt to free himself, but to no avail.

"Noctis," Luna called out in terror.

"We need to see to ourselves first," Cor said coldly, keeping his eyes trained on the shadows to see where Amaterasu would appear next.

Luna followed suit, and together they relentlessly scanned the surrounding walls and ceiling to ensure Amaterasu could not catch them unawares again.

"She's not coming out when we can see her," Cor finally said. "At this rate we will never be able to track her."

"And how do we get to Noctis? We can't warp to him," Luna said sadly.

"Don't worry about me," Noctis said, continuing to attempt to wiggle free. "When she's taken care of we can figure me out. That is, if I can't get out of this damned thing myself," he added in frustration.

Luna was scanning the room in desperation. If only they knew where Amaterasu would attack from! There was the perfect wall to their right where she could ambush them from—there was an inset there that they could not see into.

"Cor! I have an idea," Luna said, then quickly whispered her plan to him.

"It's risky, but I've got nothin'. We only have one shot at this—if she catches one of us, we're screwed," Cor said.

"Noted. Take this," Luna said, handing him something from her purse. Then she pointedly turned her back on the "ambush" wall.

Cor did the same.

Out of the shadows Amaterasu crept, making her deadly way to Luna. Luna winced as she felt the ashen tendril of web ensnare her leg. But, before Amaterasu could make the tug that would yank Luna of commission like Noctis, the spider screamed in pain as Cor stabbed her through the side. Luna felt the grip on her leg slacken as Amaterasu loosened her grip.

Cor and Luna both turned to look at the beast. She was now lying on her back, draining lava as though it were her lifeblood.

"How, did you see me," the creature spoke. Her voice was sweet, pure as a bell, and not the type of voice one would expect of such a thing.

Cor decided to be magnanimous. "This," he said, holding up a compact mirror, a relic from Luna's purse.

In the meantime, Luna picked up some of the oozing magma with her magic-shielded hands, then shaped her magic shield into a lance, and poked Noctis's restraint with the flaming tip, causing him to plummet once more. However, this time he was able to right himself on his own before crashing to the floor.

He stood between Luna and Amaterasu, doing his best to exude confidence and protectiveness even though he was still sheepish that he had done nothing in this battle.

"For being a spider, your peripheral vision sucks, Amaterasu," he couldn't help but say.

"Ama—terasu? I, do not know of whom you speak," she replied weakly

"Then, what name do you go by," Luna asked, gently.

The spider looked away a moment. "I, do not, remember. I have no right to a name anyway _._ I committed a grave sin that I must atone for all eternity for." Then she looked to them in abject terror. "You, won't tell him I failed today, right? I, didn't mean to. I did everything he said. I always do, and always will do so. The Infernian is so good to me. I will never hurt him, never betray him. I have always loved him, and always will. I am his servant, now and forever."

Luna, Noctis, and Cor looked at each other in horror. Knowing what they knew of Ifrit, the story of Amaterasu, and the fact that the being here had, for a second, responded to that name, told them a horrible story. Was her "love" for Ifrit eternal Stockholm Syndrome, or just unrequited, stalkerish love for him on her side? It was evident that Ifrit did not love her back, but was likely willing to play that card like a card shark.

Had she killed all her would-be rescuers as well for the same twisted reasons? Luna had to concede that it was quite possible.

The lava was pooling around Amaterasu. She was obviously mortally wounded, but she still held out two of her legs, as though they were human arms, in supplication. "Please. I, tried so hard to please him. Don't tell him I failed," she whispered brokenly.

Noctis stepped forward, for the moment heedless of the lava that would burn his feet. Luna took care of that little detail herself by shielding him as he walked, then as he knelt beside the fallen foe. "It's ok," he said gently, soothingly. "You did not fail. You have served him faithfully all these years and gave us a run for our money. Ifrit cannot ask for more. You did well."

Amaterasu smiled, but there was an edge of wistfulness to it. "My Master is, impossible to please. I, know this. Still, your words are, kind. More than a sinner like me deserves. Please, take what is in the sarcophagus. It, is fire armor I made years ago, back when I first thought My Master wanted to hurt me. That was, before I knew the goodness that lay underneath his faults. I, want you to have it. All I ask is that you, do not hurt Master Ifrit with it."

Noctis sighed. "I promise I will not use the armor to hurt Ifrit," was all he said.

Amaterasu sighed in relief, then it turned to a death rattle. The woman faded to ash like her leg had, leaving nothing but a pile of black flakes in her wake.

Noctis rose and turned to Luna, who was crying.

"Ifrit is a monster! What he did to her," she said in fury, doing her best to stop shaking with sobs.

Noctis took her into his arms. "We will stop him," he said, with the same gentleness he had bequeathed to Amaterasu.

"But, if Ardyn takes Iris to him. If he puts Iris through all this," Luna broke off, unable to hold it together at the thought.

"We will stop him," Noctis said again, pure repetition the only way he could get through to her.

"If we do, it goes against what we promised Amaterasu," Cor was compelled to speak up.

Noctis looked a little ashamed, but he said, "I promised her we would not hurt Ifrit with the armor. I will use my sword for that and use the armor for protection instead."

Cor rose his brows. "You have finally learned what it takes to be a king," was all he said.

Noctis looked down, temporarily defeated. "And sometimes I wish I hadn't had to learn," he said.

Cor stared back at him. For all Noctis had had to do, the sacrifices he had made, he had known he needed to do them and had accepted his lot. This was the first, and only, time, Cor had ever heard Noctis express regret and frustration at the nescessity. Normally he would chastise Noctis for it, and tell him to man up and move forward. However, Noctis deserved to vent at this moment.

Luna was weeping on Noctis's shoulder; they had just killed a misguided, but sentient, being; and had been forced to lie to her on her own deathbed for the greater good. For once, Cor gave Noctis the right to self-pity and grief.

Luna collected herself, gave her eyes an impatient wipe with her hands, gave a haughty sniff, then stood back to show it was time to return to business. Noctis glanced at her. He knew she deserved more time to collect herself, but she was right. They didn't have the time.

He strode up to the stone sarcophagus, used his sword like a crowbar, and slid open the heavy lid.

"Damn," he breathed.

Laid out as though there were an invisible body wearing it was a whole set of armor. Jet back obsidian chest plate, arm bracers, greaves, and to top that off, an obsidian tiara encrusted with topaz and rubies.

Cor and Luna peered in as well, as though they were all kids peering into the box Santa gave them on Christmas morning.

"So, do you have to wear the whole set, or will even a part of it help," Cor asked.

"Dunno," was Noctis's response.

"I kinda hope it's all at once. That tiara would look great on you, Noct," Cor said with a smirk.

"Why not," Noctis said, as blasé as possible, and picked up the tiara, put it on his head, and twisted around in a parody of a fashion model. Cor and Luna laughed almost hysterically at the display, like it was the most hilarious thing they had ever seen. It wasn't, but then, they could use some kind of levity to cheer themselves up. Noctis was a good enough sport to provide it.

"You know," he said, taking the tiara off. "It definitely feels cooler in here with the tiara on. Not sure if it's placebo effect though. Maybe you should try it, Luna."

She did as he suggested then strode to one of the flame torches. She shielded her hand, put it in the flame, and gradually broke the shield. She tensed as the last of the shield shattered and braced herself for a burn. It didn't come. It was as though the open flame were regular air.

Noctis and Cor looked on in amazement. "Seems like we only need one piece to be flameproof," Cor said. "So, we've got six pieces here, including the crown. In theory, six of us at a time can be flameproof."

"I'm taking the chestplate," Noctis said. "The tiara is all Luna's. You've got a choice of left or right bracer for your arm, or left or right greave for your leg."

"I'd rather have my arms free. I'll take a leg. For now though, we've got to get it all out of here, so might as well wear it," Cor replied, practical as always.

With Cor taking the greaves, Noctis taking the chestplate and bracers, and Luna the tiara, they left the shrine. The flame jets were still on, evidently not having been controlled by Amaterasu, but the armor let them walk right through it. They descended the mountain within a fraction of the time it took to climb it.

As soon as they got to the car, Noctis heard a tell-tale beep on his phone. "Hmph. Guess we didn't have cell signal up there. Never noticed," he mused. Then he looked at the text and stiffened. It was from Ignis. All it said was "Come to Cape Caem immediately and bring the others."

Evidently Ignis had a lead. It was time to mount a rescue.

* * *

Iris had always dreamed of visiting Altissia. The canals, multicolored buildings, cafes, and gelato shops had always captured her imagination. Her teenage self had fantasized about visiting the city at Carnival time, wearing some lavish gown and mask, meandering around the piazzas hand in hand with her handsome, brave boyfriend (no boy in particular, just some perfect made-up paragon). She never thought her first visit would be a forced march by guards to the First Secretary's palazzo, arm in arm with Ardyn Izunia.

She had tried to shake him off, but he held on, tightly enough to drive home the fact that she was still more or less in his power. She glanced at his profile, but his expression was the same as always—smirking as though he held all the cards. Did he really think they were in any sort of favorable position here? The bicorne-wearing guards were on alert, hands ready to draw weapons if Iris or Ardyn even thought of trying to run. How the hell could Ardyn be so smug at a time like this?

They were ushered into the imposing palazzo. It appeared that the structure had held up ok in the ten years of darkness-there were no obvious holes or structural damage that Iris could see, at least in short moment she had to assess it. She had a brief moment to take in the baroque hallways, the pink sandstone parquet floors, and gilded furniture before being swept into a study.

The woman behind the desk must have already known they were coming. She showed no surprise as she glanced their way.

"Oh, no rising to greet us, Camelia" Ardyn oozed with mock regret to the blue-suited gray-haired, hatchet-faced woman. "How times have changed," he concluded.

The woman sized them both up, her shrewd gaze missing nothing.

"You may leave us," she told the guards, voice cold, clipped.

After they marched out of the room, demonstrating their years of discipline, the woman turned back to Ardyn and Iris.

"I did not give you leave to call me by my first name, 'Ardyn,'" First Secretary Claustra stated coldly.

"Oh! My apologies! But we used to be on such good terms you and I, I thought were on a first name basis," Ardyn replied, mockingly aggrieved.

"The Empire and Accordo may have once been on good terms, but you lost that the day you slew Lady Lunafreya within my borders. Now, why are you here?"

"Why, my lady wife and I are here on our honeymoon. Altissia is such a romantic spo—" he broke off when Iris elbowed him hard in the ribs and finally shook free of his grip.

"Trouble in paradise already," Claustra mocked, not believing Ardyn's lie for a moment.

"Since you arrested us so quickly, I think you already know why we are here," Ardyn replied, suddenly serious.

"Yes. And I do not want a fight between the Infernian and the Hydrean in my borders. I had something similar before, _as you may recall_. And I do not wish a repeat."

"So, you knew about Ifrit this whole time, and you never saw fit to offer your assistance? I see your isolationist policies have not changed," Ardyn replied, an edge to his tone.

"The Oracle, the Chosen King, and his entourage are fighting him. I saw no need to offer my services," Claustra replied calmly.

Ardyn gave her a knowing smirk. "Or, perhaps you do not have the resources to fight him," he concluded. "But, oh, my mistake. You have elite guards who could stop _me_ if they so chose. Or, at least your guards say so," Ardyn mocked.

Claustra tensed at the hit. "You're right. My forces are, unequipped, to handle such a situation. However, seeing as you are mortal now, I think we will have zero problems with you, if we 'so choose' to stop you," she replied, arms folded in a challenge.

This broke Ardyn out of his customary indolence for the barest instant. Iris could see his eyes widen in surprise and his jaw clench, before he was able to control it.

"You are well-informed, Claustra," Ardyn replied, a dark edge to his tone.

Iris stared at him—he reminded her of a cornered rat, ready to strike. She had to diffuse the situation at once or he would get them both killed, or kill Claustra and her himself.

She stepped forward between Claustra and Ardyn and spoke up. "Ifrit is a major threat. Since you know so much, I assume you have heard what he has done to Insomnia, Galdin Quay, and Gralea? He must be stopped! He has gone into hiding, and we do not know where he is. We need to lure him to the Hydrean. Only she has the power to stop him! I am, sorry to bring him to your doorstep, but this is your world too. If we are unsuccessful here, he will destroy you anyway. At least here we have a chance of stopping all of this."

She broke off, flustered at her torrent of words.

Claustra's expression softened by a minimal amount. "Your heart is in the right place, child, but you have not thought this plan through very well. You have no doubt heard rumors of the issues plaguing our seas? The seas are Leviathan's specialty. If she cannot keep the monsters at bay, how well do you think she would fare against Ifrit, her polar opposite in power?"

"I thought his polar opposite was Shiva," Ardyn muttered behind Iris, just to be ignored.

"You're saying, Leviathan is not powerful enough to destroy him," Iris asked in disbelief.

Claustra shook her head. "She would try, but given the state of the waters, I don't think she would survive the battle. It is not just my waters I am talking about either. The Vesperpool, the ocean between here and Gralea. I don't want you to think it is just my territory I care about here. We have already lost one of the Six. We cannot lose another. You must take this fight elsewhere."

Iris's shoulders slumped in defeat. "We have nobody else to stop him. We cannot do it alone."

Claustra glanced at Ardyn again. "Tell me the goddamned truth for once, Izunia: do you plan to team up with Ifrit yourself, or do you plan on destroying him?"

Ardyn had been staring out the window, brooding, but he turned to face her when he heard his name. "I have said it once, I will say it again: I—detest—Ifrit. I may be mortal now," he sneered for a moment. "However, if I have to shed this mortal coil, I'd rather it be after he has been forever banished to the plane of existence from whence he came."

Iris and Claustra both looked at him. It was evident they both believed him. Claustra turned back to Iris.

"We have the Chosen King, his entourage, the Oracle, and the Bringer of Darkness in the battle against Ifrit. We do not need Gods," Claustra said decisively.

Iris gaped at her. It was both so simple and so complicated. But she was right. With their combined powers, they had to be able to take him down themselves. But then a horrible thought occurred to her.

"I need to leave here, immediately," Iris replied. "Ifrit, is after me. If he finds out I'm here he will come anyway and wreck everything."

Claustra nodded, but glanced out the window. What she saw didn't please her.

"A fog bank is coming in. That plus the sea monsters…you two are stuck here tonight I'm afraid," Claustra replied.

"So, you want to keep us after all," Ardyn taunted. "But, surely you don't want Ifrit's bait on your doorstep?"

Claustra's face tightened. "With this fog, Ifrit isn't getting here either—he'd be steamed if he tried. I will set up rooms for you for this evening. Never let it be said Altissia is not known for its hospitality," she added condescendingly. "As soon as the weather clears, you will be escorted back to Lucis."

"Thanks," Iris replied. "Um, you, know we aren't really married right? We will be given our own rooms," she concluded awkwardly.

Claustra smirked in amusement. "Of course! I will give you rooms in the East Wing, him in the West. Does that satisfy you?"

Iris smiled in relief.

"Really! Who do you think I am," Ardyn replied, aggrieved. "I assure you we could share the same room in perfect safety. I am a gentleman personified," he added loftily.

"You two don't need to," Claustra replied unfazed. "The servants will escort you to your rooms shortly. In the meantime, if you will excuse me, I have other matters to attend to," Claustra replied, and strode out of the room.

"Well, I suppose a guest room is better than a prison cell," Ardyn replied dryly, then brooded out the window again until the servants arrived.


	46. Chapter 46: Spurning the Dawn

**Happy Friday everyone! This chapter is a bit longer than usual-I couldn't think of a good place to break it up. Hope you don't mind! Not sure if anyone is playing Final Fantasy 15 PC edition, but mod support is out now-it's worth checking out if you want new clothes, weapons, or character swaps in game. Anyway thanks for reading and here goes:**

* * *

The nondescript manservant stepped out of Ardyn's quarters as though he had just finished seeing to his guest's comfort. Although if another servant showed up, Ardyn conceded there could be trouble. Knowing what he now knew about the quality of Claustra's intelligence, he was taking no chances. He double-checked his servant's disguise again.

Claustra liked her pagentry, Ardyn thought mockingly, taking in his salmon satin breeches and frock coat, white shirt, cravat, and hose. The outfit was not flattering, but it wasn't bad after just a cursory glance at the staff. He may be mortal now, but he could still shapeshift. Nobody could take that away from him, he thought smugly, as he strolled down the hall, acknowledging the loitering guards with an effusive, but mocking salute.

As cushy as his lodgings were, he knew they were nothing more than a prison cell with him under constant surveillance. And he refused to be spied upon. He was, funny, that way. There was always something to hide, and he didn't want people knowing more of him than he wanted them to.

Claustra's knowledge of his mortality still rankled. How the hell had she known that? Not even Noctis had figured it out. Did Cindy keep hidden cameras in her restrooms that Claustra had intercepted? Ardyn smirked at the thought. "Cindy, you clever little sneak," he mocked in his head, just to brush it aside. If they had seen him fight, maybe they had drawn some conclusions that way—he had no way to know, and he didn't like it.

He was not even doing anything nefarious this time, but he was damned if he was going to sit in his room and be entertainment to his watchers. No, he was going to take a nice long walk around the city, basking in the darkness that he still preferred over insipid light. Maybe he should offer a, platonic of course, night out on the town to Iris, he thought in amusement. He'd love to see her scandalized reaction.

She wasn't as fun to play though—she would tell him "no" in no uncertain terms then call the guards for good measure. Now if he offered the same thing to Aranea—she might do the same thing, but she'd also be just as likely to call his bluff and choose to go with him "to keep an eye on him". He could have so much fun with that, but alas, she wasn't here.

And had tied herself to Iggy, more's the pity.

The night air was mild, but clammy. The fog from the bay rolled in, blanketing the footpaths with a low-lying mist. It was though he were walking around in a dream, or perhaps a nightmare. He wondered if any foes would come out of this mist—perhaps he should be more on his guard. He fingered the dagger in his pocket—it wasn't much, but then again he had once slain the Oracle with something similar, so that had to count for something.

Not much was open this late, even a decadent city like this had gotten scared of the dark within the past ten years. However, a wine bar was still open—its glowing lights beckoned to anyone abroad at this hour. He wandered into the brassy light, still in his disguise. The bar was not empty—even if most turned their back on the night there were still others, like himself, who had spurned the dawn.

Ardyn didn't know why it was that whenever there was a hint of dampness in the air, establishments like this always saw fit to light a roaring fire in their fireplaces. It wasn't even that cold. All it did was make the barroom stuffy and uncomfortable. Although if he had been in his normal outfit, it still wouldn't have been enough to get him to remove his cloaks and fedora.

Depite the heat, there was a man seated by the fire, legs stretched out towards it as though absorbing its warmth.

Ardyn's eyes narrowed on the figure. He looked, washed out. His spikey hair was lanky, an orange so bleached as to be almost flesh-toned. Not this this man's flesh was that color. His skin was a chalky, sickly white. The man's topaz suit jacket was steaming, as though he was drying off after being soaking wet. Or because he couldn't handle the damp…

Could it really be this simple? Ardyn had to try. He crept up, dagger drawn, ready to strike the 'man' in the back of the neck.

The man turned at the last moment, sherry-colored eyes taking in his still disguised, would-be murderer. "You strike me, and this fire before me becomes the flames that will burn this city down, Ardyn," Belenus replied.

Ardyn chuckled, not changing form, but using his real voice. "I'm not the 'Chosen King'," he replied bitterly. "I couldn't care less about casualties." He kept his dagger drawn, ready to use it.

"But you do care about your own useless life," Belenus replied coldly, then withdrew his hand from his pocket, displaying a fireball that would incinerate Ardyn if he even tried to make a move.

Ardyn cursed his instinctive drawing back at the thought of his own death even as he lowered his dagger.

"Where is Iris," Belenus demanded.

"Oh, so you didn't come to see your comerade Leviathan? What a shame," Ardyn replied mockingly.

"Surely you know by now that she is not a threat to me at the moment, what with all of those sea monsters around," Belenus taunted. "Besides, if she were, able, I would have been attacked by her the second I set foot in this marshy cesspool. As you see, I am, unscathed. I will ask you again, where is Iris?"

"Do you really think Gladio would trust little old me with his beloved sister? I'd be the last person who would be anywhere near her, much less know where she is," Ardyn replied without batting an eye.

Belenus was unimpressed. Ardyn had to grudgingly admit Belenus was offsetting his evident physical weakness with a calm collectedness. Ardyn knew it was likely to prevent him from trying to use power he lacked at the moment, but he had to admit, Belenus's change in character was, unsettling.

"I can't help but notice you haven't attacked me yet," Belenus taunted. "What's the matter? Scared I will kill you? It really is unfair, my comerades taking your immortality away."

Ardyn hissed, not liking this conversation at all. "Are you afraid I will call your bluff and strike you down right here and now," Ardyn countered goadingly. Belenus didn't take the bait.

"I am still one of the Six, well, Five, now," Belenus replied. "I do have powers, even in this, situation. I could even return your immortality to you, if I wanted to."

"Really? You would give me, a mere human, back the Godlike powers that your comerades took away," Ardyn asked cynically.

"Why yes," Belenus replied. "I owe them nothing. All I want is to pursue my own interests, just like you do."

"Is this where you say, 'we are much alike you and I,'" Ardyn drawled mockingly. "I have used that line before. It does not work."

"Oh, but we are very much alike," Belenus said smoothly. "I know you are only allied with Noctis and the others because it suits you to be. You couldn't care less about them or about saving the world. It is always about you—your vengeance, your recognition. Even if you help Noctis destroy me and save the world, what do you think happens to you after? Do you really think Noctis will let you serve alongside him as a defender of the world? I thought you were less naïve than that! He will throw you aside and imprison you, just as your brother did."

"You leave my brother out of this," Ardyn hissed, beginning to lose his cool.

"Who, Aiden Lucis Caelum," Belenus replied in all innocence. "Aiden and Ardyn. Your parents really weren't that creative in naming twins, were they," he mocked, just to pause when Ardyn grabbed him by the throat.

"I do so hate repeating myself," Ardyn tried to drawl, the effect ruined by his clenched teeth.

"The only way you land on your feet is if you have your immortality back," Belenus replied. "I can give it to you."

Ardyn forced himself to draw back. "What are your terms," he finally demanded.

"You give Iris to me, I give you back your immortality. Not here though. I need a, drier, location before I claim her. And as a token of my good faith…" Belenus waved his hand in the general direction of Ardyn's shoulder, the same shoulder Ardyn had stabbed to prove himself mortal. He could feel the slowly healing painful wound burn, then, nothing? There was no pain, as though it were completely healed.

Ardyn smirked. "When and where do you want Iris," he asked, jovially.

* * *

Ardyn reverted to himself as soon as he returned to his room at the Palazzo. There had been no uproar, so evidently nobody had caught him leaving. Maybe Claustra's spies weren't as on the ball as he thought they were?

They had evidently overlooked Ifrit's presence. To think Claustra had kept them here because the fog would keep them safe from him! It was only the damp weather holding Ifrit back though. Luckily he was retreating to a drier "bachelor pad" to await his prey. Or else Ardyn so gravely feared for the sake of this pretentious city.

Still Ardyn had to admit Ifrit's power. Even in this damp environment, haven for his mortal enemy Leviathan, Ifrit had been able to use some of his abilities. Ardyn felt his injured shoulder, and for the first time in a long time, it wasn't sore. He removed his cloaks and shirt and checked his wound in the mirror. He was right—the wound was gone. There wasn't even a scar. Ifrit seemed to have the power to restore his immortality after all.

Since Ifrit had fulfilled his side of the bargain, it was time for Ardyn to fulfill his. Bringing Iris to Ifrit's lair in exchange for immortality? The answer was obvious. Betrayal hurt, didn't it?

* * *

Ravus was on edge, staring at the swirling fog around the cargo ship he was on. He couldn't even see the other ships of the convoy through the fog. If a sea monster chose to attack, they would be at a distinct disadvantage. He fingered his sword.

His shipmates were quite jovial, figuring they were all but invincible with Ravus Nox Fleuret, Prince of Tenebrae and former Imperial Commander, on board. Ravus had wished he could stay incognito a bit longer, but that was not possible after his work in Tenebrae. Through his simple tasks of training and mobizing a posse to guard the nearby lake in case of sea monster attacks, his identity had become known in Tenebrae, and his "return" accepted.

It was as though he were some, mythic, figure, he thought, bemused. It didn't matter that he had been gone for ten years and had been seemingly dead. It seemed as though they just figured he was some larger than life legend to whom death was nothing. While he thought they gave him way too much credit, he supposed it made proving his identity much easier.

He scanned the fog again, warily. He had to admit a sword wouldn't do much against a sea monster—by the time it got close enough for him to attack, it would be too late. And his jumping into the water to confront it would be suicide. He had to hope that he wouldn't be forced into a battle.

It was evident that there was some kind of plague in these waters—the glowing buoys they passed with their grisly skull and crossbone design screamed danger. All he could get out of his shipmates about the nature of it was that it was some kind of "shark," and that "those who had seen it up close enough to be able to describe it were dead—eaten by the fiend."

Was his theory correct? Were Iris and Ardyn in Tenebrae? He still wasn't 100% sure, and he had no game plan either way. Well, besides the fact that if they were here, he would resuce Iris from Ardyn's vile clutches. Ravus knew, full well, how Ardyn treated women who were no longer of use to him—Ravus's soul clenched at the memory of Luna lying in the rain, stabbed and bleeding to death, in Altissia no less. He would not let Ardyn do the same to Iris.

"Land ho," the lookout called from the prow of the ship. Ravus glanced ahead to see, just at the edges of the mist, lights of the Altissia port. It appeared that had made it through, unscathed. While he felt a twinge of relief, he also had to admit that it was anticlimactic to have been all revved up for battle just to not have to join it. Nevertheless, he was here, and now needed to figure out how to determine if Iris and Ardyn were here.

"Ravus Nox Fleuret," the customs officer intoned. It was not a question, and Ravus could not pretend to be someone else, so merely nodded in agreement.

"By order of First Secretary Camelia Claustra, you are to report to the palazzo at once."

It may be easier for him to get information than he thought, Ravus thought dryly. He was about to meet someone who had everything he could possibly want to know about Altissia and its visitors.

* * *

The sun was hot on Iris's back. She was running across an empty expanse of salt flat, or was it an ocean? She couldn't tell. The ground she was standing on was ebbing and flowing like fine sand, or water. And it was impeding her progress. She had to go faster or else she would be captured—she could sense pursuit even though she couldn't tell who, or what, was doing the chasing.

She forced herself to run faster, but it was like running through quicksand. The faster she tried to run, the deeper she sank until she was completely trapped, frozen, caught in a trap of her own making. The sands were closing in over her head, and she was sinking, falling, just to tumble out of a, wardrobe?

She stared at the bedroom the quicksand had apparently been a portal to. It looked, strangely familiar. There was a rustle of blankets from the bed, making her realize the room was inhabited.

"When a man finds a woman in his bedroom, he may be excused for taking, liberties," the inhabitant crooned, taunting, deadly.

She knew that voice and choice of words. She knew the room. The man, no, being, emerged from the bed and stalked towards her with dark intent. His orange hair was tousled—his red eyes blazing, his shirtless torso alabaster pale. She could feel his body heat as he approached. She felt the wardrobe at her back. She had no retreat.

"You are mine now, Iris," Belenus hissed.

 _Poke Poke_

Iris sat up, gasping, as though pulled up like a puppet on a string.

It had just been a bad dream. Except for the poking…

"You certainly sleep soundly, don't you," a voice drawled from her bedside.

She whirled around, reflexively covering her chest with the bedspread, just to remember that she had slept in her clothes anyway.

Ardyn was standing in the shadows beside her bed, staring down at her with his usual indolence.

"How the hell did you get in here," she demanded, leaping out of bed on the other side.

"It's a locked room mystery," Ardyn replied tauntingly, not answering her question at all.

Iris reached over to turn on the light.

"Ah ah ah," Ardyn murmured, reaching out to block her progress to the light switch. "The darkness keeps us safer from prying eyes."

"What the hell are you doing here," she demanded, glaring at him.

"Why, merely coming to extricate you from your prison," Ardyn commented smoothly.

"This is not a prison," she contradicted.

"If you saw the unit of guards in the hallway you might think otherwise," he replied. "We must leave, right now."

"Are you nuts? It's the middle of the night, in a fog bank, with sea monsters everywhere."

"That gives us the best chance of escape without pursuit," Ardyn replied logically.

"Why should we care about that? Claustra will see us back to Lucis tomorrow morning," Iris replied.

"Do you really trust her," Ardyn asked darkly. "She has known about Ifrit all this time, has known our darkest secrets, yet has done nothing to help us. Do you really think it is in our best interest to let her dictate our travel plans? For all we know she could be planning to sell you off to Ifrit in exchange for the safety of her kingdom."

"She wouldn't," Iris replied in desperation. "She'd have to know that that's a sucker's game."

"In the war between the Empire and Lucis, she played both sides, did she not? I know that firsthand. Even as she let the brave Oracle in to perform the Hydrean's rite, she had the Empire in the wings in case Leviathan proved, unruly. You may choose to trust her, I do not. And as your 'captor' for the moment, I say we leave."

"I'm not a sailor," Iris replied. "If you expect me to pilot our boat in the fog, I will kill us all. You are after all, mortal now aren't you," Iris sneered.

Ardyn hissed, not liking the reminder. "I see you are not being reasonable," he said, darkly.

"I am actually being the more reasonable of the two of us," she snapped back, ignoring the threat. "As I said, sailing in the fog will kill us."

Ardyn sighed, her only warning. She couldn't see him well in the dark, but she recognized that gesture from his treatment of the ship captain and jumped aside just as Ardyn's sleep energy approached, missing her completely and fizzing out into nothing.

"Not bad," Ardyn conceded. "You managed to dodge my sleep spell—that is more than your brother ever managed," he added, a twinge of admiration in his tone.

"I know how you operate by now, Ardyn. Tell me what your plans are for handling the fog and the sea monsters. Then I will decide whether to scream for the guards or not."

Ardyn chuckled. "Why, I'm not worried about sea monsters at all. Monsters don't scare me. After all, I am one of the biggest monsters this world has ever known. I am not the Bringer of Darkness for nothing," he replied with his typical arrogance.

"But, you are mortal now," Iris reminded him.

Ardyn sighed again. "Just because I am mortal does not mean I am without powers," he stated firmly. "As you will recall, I made short work of that shark."

Iris had to concede that was the case.

"As for the fog, well, I shall reveal my plans there later. The walls have ears you know."

"I don't know why I should trust you," Iris replied, defensively.

"It's quite simple, really," Ardyn replied brightly to her rhetorical question. "If you do not, I will simply incapacitate you and carry you off with me. I won't miss next time," he added darkly.

Iris considered calling the guards. However, Ardyn was right, in his own warped way. She didn't know if she could trust the Altissia guards any more than she could trust him. And for the moment, Ardyn was the devil she knew. She would have to follow his lead, stay conscous and alert, and try to keep the status quo as much as possible.

"You've made your point," Iris replied with a sigh, put on her shoes, and made her way to the door to the hallway.

"A moment, Iris," Ardyn replied, stopping her with his voice. "We will be going out the back way," he added, opening the casement window overlooking the Grand Canal. There were balconies lining the canal on both sides. It would suit his purposes.

Iris scanned the landscape with misgivings. "I am not a parkour master, Ardyn," she replied. "Unless you have a grappling hook, there's no way out this way."

"On the contrary," Ardyn replied brightly. "It will require me, 'taking liberties' unfortunately, but it _will_ work."

She cringed at that choice of words—it reminded her too much of her recent nightmare. However, before she could do anything to prevent it, Ardyn grabbed her by the waist and tossed her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

"Get your slimy hands off of me," Iris replied in indignation, kicking at his gut.

"Would you prefer to sleep the whole way," Ardyn replied affably, but with the threat in his tone obvious.

Iris subsided. At least if she was conscious, she could do something if she needed to. For now, she would have to endure.

It was a good thing he could warp, Ardyn thought dryly. That was one of the benefits of his blood line, and something the crystal, or the Six, could not take from him. He warped from balcony to balcony, Iris over his shoulder.

"It's in your best interest to hold onto me," Ardyn commented cattily to his captive. "You are, unfortunately, not as light as you look, and I need your help to keep from dropping you."

Iris bit her lip at his remark—nobody liked to be told they were "heavy", but she complied, clutching at his shoulders for dear life. She kept her eyes closed. The "wooshing" was disorienting, and each time she opened her eyes, she saw them careening over the canal at a dangerous height. She didn't want to think about what would happen if Ardyn let her go, or lost his balance.

She was beginning to see how Noctis had had to give up his life to defeat him. Even stripped of his immortality, he still had more powers than he deserved, and would give her and her allies a run for their money if they had to fight him. She was still not convinced that they wouldn't have to. She wished she had had time to leave some kind of warning, or knew where they were going.

She was still unsure whether he was abducting her, or carrying her off to safety. She had to know which was which. She would not be caught unawares and be led to a trap. One thing was sure—she did not want to be held by him. The very proximity repelled her.

It took some doing to track down their boat—all piers looked the same in the fog. It was at times like this Ardyn missed the imperial airships. It was a pity nobody had recovered the technology. With the knowledge he had of their workings, maybe he could gain fortune and fame manufacturing them. It didn't help him now though. However, the fog also made it more difficult for the port patrols to see and track them, so that worked in their favor.

"This looks like our boat," Iris said, finally. She inwardly sighed in relief as Ardyn deposited her into the boat, then stepped aside.

She returned to the pilot's seat. Luck was with her—the fuel guage was quite low. This might be the excuse she needed to not go with him on this, as far as she was concerned, suicide sail.

"We can't get far with our present fuel supply," she commented, unable to keep the gloating out of her voice. "We probably need food and water too. Unless you know of where we can stock the ship, I think leaving is a bad idea," she added for good measure, reveling in the chance to dig in her heels on the venture.

"Hmm," Ardyn replied. "There is a yacht over yonder," he said, pointing to the neighboring boat. "Perhaps it has what we seek?"

"You want to rob someone's boat," Iris asked, appalled.

"I believe the term is 'plunder'," Ardyn replied. "Let us make like pirates and pillage their supplies," Ardyn said brightly.

"I'm not about to help you steal," Iris replied in anger.

"Stay on the ship then," Ardyn said affably, then raised his hand, making it quite evident that he would use a spell on her if she did not come with him.

Iris remembered her plan—stay conscious at all costs.

"Wait," she exclaimed, raising her hands defensively. "I, will help you," she ground out.

Ardyn smirked smugly. "I rather thought you might, my dear," he replied.

Together they made their way to the neighboring boat. If there had been passengers on board, it would have been too bad for them, but fortunately for them, it was devoid of people. Not provisions though, Ardyn thought gloatingly, spying the cans of fuel, food, and water.

Iris didn't need instructions, and simply began lugging what she could carry to their own boat. Ardyn did the same. While Ardyn was doing his run back to the yacht for more supplies, Iris looked into how to give their boat a fill up with their pilfered fuel. If she was fast enough, she may be able to refuel it and sail away before Ardyn could return. Even if it took her out into the fog, at least she would be away from him.

She was half successful—she found the gas tank, and was able to refuel their boat. However, before she could enact part B of her plan, she heard the thuds of more supplies being dumped on deck. Ardyn had returned.

"This should do it, I think," Ardyn said smugly, gloating in their 'five finger discount' of supplies.

"Whatever you say, Matey," Iris replied bitingly, then made her way to the pilot's chair while Ardyn untied them from the dock.

"Where are we going," she replied.

"You'll find out soon enough," Ardyn replied sarcastically, then unleashed another spell.

"But, you need me to steer-" was as far as Iris got before the sleep spell connected, and she went limp in the chair. She had been unprepared, assuming that he needed her to pilot the ship. That assumption had cost her dearly

Ardyn stared down at her sleeping form in smug amusement. "Sorry, my dear, but you are no longer useful, conscious," he muttered darkly.

He lifted her out of the chair and deposited her on the floor of the boat, then took stock of what he had to work with regarding piloting the boat. If Iris could figure out, he sure as hell could, he thought with arrogance. It took him a few jerky movements and sputters from the engine, but soon he had the boat moving steadily enough.

He glanced at Iris again, who was still asleep. She would be for awhile, if he didn't miss his guess. He should have just incapacitated her from the get go, he thought. But then, he was able to procure supplies in half the time with her helping. She didn't need to know where they were going. Knowing that the Infernian awaited her was more trouble than it was worth.

* * *

 **I'm not sure if cannon ever gave us the Mystic's (Ardyn's brother's) name. I assume it will be revealed in Episode Ardyn if they have not yet, but I am sticking with what I came up with. I'm a twin with the same first initial as my twin sister, so it felt good to put this in ;-) On the topic of Ardyn, it appears he is his bad old self. I guess leopards can't change their spots. But is he really naive enough to trust Ifrit and do his bidding? Let's see how this plays out, shall we ;-) Thanks for reading my rambling! Till next time!**


	47. Chapter 47: An Old Friend

**Hi Everyone! Thanks to everyone who pointed out that the Mystic's name is Somnus. It makes total sense! Once I publish a chapter, I consider it "written in stone", so rather than going back, I will try to reconcile the name thing later. I know I still owe resolution on Noctis's mother's name as well. I'm trying to work that in. Anyway, here is the next installment, and thanks a bunch for reading!**

* * *

Cape Caem was a different place when the fog rolled in. The blustery shore with its majestic cliffs turned ominous—sudden drops to the sea were hidden in the mist, as were any sea monsters who blundered in from the shore.

Lux was especially scared of those. He sat at the top of the lighthouse, following the beams of light, staring down at what he could see of the shore to make sure there were no threats coming their way. Not that he could do anything about them, he thought, sadly. Ever since that Ardyn guy had taken his daemons away he had felt, powerless. At first he had welcomed it—his powers and ability to destroy had haunted him. However, now he was beginning to see that power would be useful in protecting his, friends? What did he call his mother who had not known him till recently, or the wise badass giving him advice? Could he call them, mom, and dad? He still wasn't sure, but he knew he wanted to protect them.

This area really was pretty, he had to admit, with the water lapping against the land, the smells, and the views. It reminded him of his early days in Galdin Quay, doing odd jobs for tourists. Galdin Quay, the place he had destroyed. How many lives had he taken? Were the monsters rising the result of what he had done there? Did he, wake something up when he destroyed the resort?

And how could he ever atone for something like that? It didn't matter whether it had been his choice or not. He could have said no, but didn't. Maybe it was because Ardyn was his "real" dad. They said he was a bad man. Maybe some of that had rubbed off onto Lux? No, he couldn't blame others. The fact remained that Lux had used the crystal for destruction himself. And now Aranea, Ignis, and their friends were cleaning up his mess. He would make up for it, somehow. He just didn't know how.

He heard the clanking of the metal stairs—somebody was coming up.

"How's the view," Aranea asked him, glancing out the window.

"Where's Ignis," Lux asked her.

"He's down by the car, waiting for Noctis and the others to get here."

"That's good," Lux said brightly. He had learned to hid his uncertainties, weaknesses, and fears behind a bubbly façade—it had worked well with Belenus. He had never guessed until the end how much of a vulnerable coward Lux really was.

It wasn't working on Aranea. She was glancing at him in concern.

"What's wrong," she asked him gently.

He wasn't used to discussing his fears with others. "Nothing. I'm fine," he said, firmly, to nip the discussion in the bud.

Aranea wasn't having it. "That's the stock answer every cadet gives, even when they are hurting inside. It doesn't mean things actually _are_ fine. I can tell something is bugging you. Let's talk about it," Aranea added, a twinge of uncertainty in her tone, as though she wanted to help him, but didn't want to push him too hard.

It was that gentleness that did him in. It came out in a flood—his guilt for what he had done, his concerns that the sea monsters were his fault, and that he wanted to atone, but didn't know how.

"Maybe, the world would have been better off, if I had stayed in that tube," Lux concluded sadly.

Aranea stared back, appalled. "You think—all of this—is your fault," she replied in horror. "That's bullshit," she replied, then remembered her audience and blushed. "What I mean is, there is no way any of this is your fault. It's all Belenus, Ifrit. _He_ is responsible."

"But, I used the crystal…," Lux began.

"I know how you feel," Aranea said gently. "Back before, all of this, I, served the Empire. I knew they did bad things, but they paid well, so I ignored it. Until I couldn't anymore. When I saw firsthand how bad they were, I left. I wandered around for a bit, trying to figure out how to set things right. It took some doing, but now, doing this, helping Ignis and Tenebrae, has made me feel, better. It is the same with you. As soon as you saw how bad Ifrit was, you did the right thing and walked away. You are now in the 'what do I do next' phase. It will, take time to figure that out—it always does. But you will, and I will be here to help you," she stated.

"You, mean that," Lux said. "You won't abandon me?"

"I will be there for you until the end," Aranea said with conviction.

Lux stepped forward, and hesitantly patted her shoulder. It was the first physical contact he had offered anyone, of his own accord. "Thank you, Aranea," he said.

She patted his hand still resting on her shoulder. "I'm your mom. That's what moms do," she said gently.

The loud roar interrupted the moment.

They looked sharply out the window.

"There's something out there," Aranea commented, voice hard.

Lux was scanning the darkness. "I can't see anything," he stated in alarm.

"Ignis," they stated in alarmed unison.

* * *

Ravus remembered this study—it was the exact place where Luna had been kept prisoner ten years ago. And now it felt like he was the prisoner. It was not a welcome feeling. He paced the peacock blue and white carpet, waiting for an audience with the First Secretary. And the longer he waited, the more frustrated he was getting. He didn't have time to be standing around while Iris was in danger. He was so intent on his pacing that he missed the door opening, and was startled when he heard a feminine voice say, "ageing appears to have suited you well, Ravus Nox Fleuret."

Ravus turned sharply to face Claustra. "I, suppose I shall take that as a compliment," Ravus replied calmly.

"Without returning it," Claustra replied dryly.

Ravus remembered his manners. "Apologies. Of course the years have treated you well also," he replied smoothly, mechanically.

Claustra smirked. "Spoken like the true politician you are," she added sarcastically. "However, it is unnescassary. I know full well the decade of darkness has turned me into a sallow old crone."

Ravus opened his mouth to contradict, but she cut him off with a brisk gesture.

"I imagine you are here because of Iris Amitica and Ardyn Izunia," she asked him, deadpan.

Ravus looked up sharply. "They are here then?"

"Are you set to be their ally or enemy," Claustra replied, dodging the question.

"I am here to rescue Iris from Ardyn's vile clutches," he stated firmly.

Claustra smirked. "Spoken like a true knight errant," she replied dryly. "But did it ever occur to you that Iris may not need your help? She seems to be able to keep Ardyn in line pretty well on her own."

"If you know Ardyn as well as I think you do, you know Ardyn is only 'staying in line' because it suits him to. When he reveals his true colors, I fear for Iris. I will not let him hurt her like he hurt Luna."

"You mistrust him, yet you worked alongside him in Insomnia," Claustra stated.

"You are well informed. If you knew so much, I wonder why you did not offer assistance."

Claustra folded her arms. "I deemed my resources, unnescessary."

"As much as I like verbally fencing with you," Ravus replied dryly, "I'd like to know where Iris is and if she is safe. I plan on escorting her back to Lucis and removing her from your borders."

"Right to the point. I like that," Claustra replied. "Your best chance of 'rescuing' her without Ardyn confronting you is now. I have housed them in opposite wings of the palazzo. While I am not comfortable sending you back out across the seas in this foggy weather, that may be your best option. I shall have my servants escort you to her rooms where you may fetch her, then will have my guards escort the both of you to the dock where you may find transport back to Lucis. Will that be acceptable?"

"You, would allow me to go to a lady's bedchamber," Ravus asked, scandalized.

Claustra rolled her eyes. "I assumed you would want to see firsthand that she has been well taken care of and has not come to harm. However, if you are too squeamish to meet her that way, I can have my servants bring her here."

"No! You are right! If you would kindly escort me to her quarters, I will be sure to escort her out of your borders quickly without Ardyn noticing."

Claustra nodded her assent and summoned a female servant who escorted him to Iris.

There was no reply to their repeated knocking on her door.

"This is strange," the maid commented. "Perhaps she is sleeping soundly. We can try again in the morning."

"And risk Ardyn finding out," Ravus thought to himself. "Unlock the door, if you please, madam," he stated boldly.

"I, don't know about this. It isn't proper…"

Now was Ravus's turn to roll his eyes at being too diligent with the proprieties. "Then give me the key, and I will do it. Or else I will break down the door," he warned.

The maid replied with alacrity, fumbling with the keys and opening the door herself.

The room was dark, the bed was empty, and the window was open. There was no sign of Iris.

"Damn," Ravus exclaimed. "Do you know where Ardyn's room is?"

She led him down a series of hallways to Ardyn's quarters. Ravus didn't give her the time to unlock the door. He slammed into it with his shoulder, splintering the wood and causing the door to crash against the far wall as it smashed open.

Ardyn was gone too.

Ravus smashed his fist into the empty bed, eliciting a shocked response from the maid. Ravus took several deep breaths to calm himself. "Can you explain the situation to Claustra," he asked the maid. "If so, I will return to Iris's room and search for clues."

The maid opened her mouth to contradict him—he was an outsider after all. However, after seeing the intentness of his gaze and hearing the command in his voice, she gave up the struggle. She scurried away to do exactly as he ordered.

Ravus sighed and removed his cell phone from his pocket and called Noctis, willing him to pick up his phone.

"Ravus! About time! Where are you," Noctis demanded on the other side of the line.

"Listen, carefully," Ravus demanded. "Ardyn and Iris were in Altissia as recently as a few hours ago. However, now they have disappeared."

Noctis was silent for a moment. "Ignis and Aranea already figured that out. We are meeting up in Cape Caem to sail across."

"They may not be here anymore," Ravus replied, frustrated.

"Well, where do you think they went," Noctis asked.

"I have no fucking clue," Ravus replied, losing his cool. "Get your asses here on the double so we can figure this shit out."

"Wow! You sounded just like Gladio for a moment," Noctis replied, surprised.

"Just do it," Ravus demanded, and severed the connection. He had to track them down before they left Altissia. And figure out why they snuck out, and where they were going next. His instincts told him that Iris's safety depended on it.

* * *

"How in Sam Hill are we supposed to get to Altissia," Cid exclaimed—his only reaction to Noctis's news.

"Really, Paw Paw? You don't have access to a boat," Cindy countered flippantly. "I thought you collected vehicles at that double-wide you have."

"Cars and trucks. Not boats," Cid countered.

"If those rusted out hunks of junk in your yard can be called cars and trucks," Holly muttered dryly to Gladio.

"I'll get 'em fixed up one day," Cid replied defensively to Holly, hearing evidently still sound despite his age.

"Well, how about that old refrigerator and wash machine in your yard," she asked.

"I'm usin' em for parts," Cid spat back.

"If we don't have access to a boat, we're screwed," Talcott spoke up. "Anyone have any ideas?"

"Hold your horses, kid," Holly replied. "I may have one. Cid, how well do you think this truck does off-road?"

"Welp, you saw how much at the Vesperpool," Cid countered.

"No. I mean, in the desert."

"Only way to know is to do it. Where we headin'?"

"The Meteor Crater near Lestallum," Holly replied.

"Oh ho," Cid replied. "I think I know just what is goin' on in your head. Hold onto your britches everyone." And with that Cid lurched the beleaguered fire engine in gear.

"I am both terrified and intrigued," Prompto muttered to Gladio.

"You and me both," Gladio returned.

* * *

The nearby, familiar-sounding roar interrupted Ignis's lonely vigil. He looked up, sharply. It sounded close. Aranea and Lux could be in trouble. He couldn't wait by the car for Noct anymore. He surged up, a dagger in each hand, and made his way to where he thought the sound was coming from.

Granted, it was hard to tell in the fog—it had a tendency to distort sounds. However, his hearing was still acute after ten years of depending on it. He stepped forward, cautiously, just to see the shadow in the swirling mist.

The giant carnivorous plant with a mouth that could devour humans whole was definitely a threat. Its eyes, glaring at him balefully from its eyestalks told Ignis there was no way he could stealth kill this creature. There was no sign of Aranea and Lux though. He had to hope they were safe.

The noises it made as it wriggled closer were definitely familiar.

"So, this is what a Marlboro looks like," Ignis muttered to himself dryly. At least he knew how to take one down. He reached into his pocket to grab a fire vial, only to realize he didn't have one. It appeared a change in tactics was required.

"Ignis! Are you ok," Aranea demanded, running onto the scene and directing the Marlboro's attention. Its second eyestalk swiveled her way.

"Be careful, Aranea," Ignis returned in horror as the creature extended a vine and tried to strike her.

"Hah," Aranea replied, swiping at the vine with her lance. "You've got to do better than that to stop me," she commented flippantly, adrenalin in full gear.

"It has a bad breath attack that can poison and petrify you. Watch out," Ignis ordered.

Lux was staring at the creature in horror.

"Lux," Ignis demanded, coldly, to keep Lux from panicking. "Go to the car. There should be magic vials in the boot, er, trunk. Bring as many red ones as you can back here."

The cool, brisk tone is what Lux needed to keep the panic at bay. He sprinted downhill to the car to do Ignis's bidding.

Ignis had to hope Lux didn't hurt himself running downhill in the fog, but he had to focus on Aranea right now. She was alone against a creature that he, Noct, Gladio, and Prompto had been unable to easily defeat in the past.

She was using her aerial attacks, but evidently to no avail.

"It's like I'm hitting rubber," she complained, running back to Ignis's side. "What the hell are we dealing with here?"

"It's a Marlboro," Ignis replied. "They thrive in moist environments and as I said," he leapt aside as the creature lunged. "As I said, has a deadly bad breath attack that will poison and petrify you," Ignis called out breathlessly when he landed behind it.

Aranea jumped aside at the same time, also ending up behind it.

"How do we kill it," she asked.

"We need fire," Ignis replied, overclocking his daggers to make them flame daggers then closing in to backstab it. The creature pivoted at the last moment, doing a full 360 degree turn so it was facing them. It instantly opened its mouth, a cloud of green poision gas beginning to emerge from its mouth.

Ignis knew from experience that the mouth was its only weak point. Mentally saying goodbye to one of his daggers, he raised his hand to toss it into its mouth—just to have Aranea grab him and pull him out of range at the last minute.

"What in bloody hell was that," he demanded, turning sharply to Aranea. "I had a plan," he concluded with clenched teeth.

"What? To get injured so I'd have to heal your ass," Aranea snapped back. "Not happening on my watch. Whatever your plan is, we do it together."

The creature was already encroaching again, closing the distance between them with disturbing speed.

"We need to get fire into its mouth," Ignis replied desperately. "All I have right now is my flame dagger."

"What about Lux and the flame vials," Aranea replied, rhetorically.

"Do you really want Lux in this fight," he snapped back.

The logic was undeniable. She shook her head. "Ok. Give me one of your daggers. If we can get it to look up, I can drop the thing right into its mouth. Let gravity do the work for us."

Ignis stepped back, clutching his daggers almost protectively. "No! It is too dangerous. Let me…"

Aranea lunged forward and wrenched one from his hand. "No time for chivalry right now, my knight," she said almost tenderly. Then she was off running towards the Marlboro.

Ignis wasn't about to let her face it alone. He may be down a dagger, but he still had a second one and a polearm, if it came to that. He would die before he let this monster hurt Aranea. He fingered his weapons and made his way to flank the creature.

* * *

Lux fumbled through the paraphernalia in the car trunk, sorting through the blue, red, and yellow glows of the magic vials to pick out the fire vials. Would this really be enough, he wondered, running back uphill with his burden, careful not to spill or break the vials lest the fiery contents spill onto him. He had enough burns from Belenus from when he had done something "bad". He didn't need it again from a vial.

The sight he saw when he returned caused him to stop dead in horror. Aranea was swooping down, right into the creature's open mouth. There was green gas dripping from the corners of its maw, a grim precursor to poison. He couldn't see Ignis. Oh no! Was he already eaten?

Aranea was being eaten before his eyes! And Lux was too far away to be able to get there in time. He was a failure, he thought rapidly in despair. All he could do was load down his mom and "dad", standing aside watching them protect him while he stood on the sidelines. He was a burden, just like Belenus had said. He was better off in that tube.

He shook his head. He was not in the tube anymore. He was out in the world, and those he loved needed his help. He had to protect them. He had to fight back. With a surge of desparate strength he flashed forward. The surrounding landscape was a blur as he "warped" to the creature. The Marlboro, sensing movement in front of it, ducked its head to face Lux—Lux dimly heard Aranea curse as her jump attack missed its mouth, forcing her sideways so that she ended up rolling on the ground beside the creature, temporarily stunned.

Lux felt the rush of putrid air as the green gas approached. He threw the fire vial with all his might towards the creature. It was sheer blind luck that the vial made it in—like a basketball thrown clear across the court that somehow found its way into the basket.

Lux couldn't tell if his strike was enough. All he could see was green gas surrounding him. Then everything faded to black.


	48. Chapter 48: Gladio and the Mechanics

**Hi Everyone! Busy week, so not as much time to write as I would have wanted. I still have quite a bit ready to go though, so I'm not out of material yet :) Thanks to everyone who is keeping up with this story-it is the longest story I have ever written and I appreciate everyone who is along for the ride.**

* * *

"What are you thinkin', Holly," Gladio demanded as Cid turned the fire truck onto a dirt road below Lestallum.

"You'll see," Holly replied coyly.

"I'm not really in the mood for games," Gladio replied, annoyed.

"You spoilsport," she taunted. "If you must know, there is an imperial junkyard down here. We dumped any imperial crap we could find into the crater. A fitting place for it, really."

Cindy looked to Holly in amazement, catching on quickly. "You thinkin' there's an imperial airship in there?"

"There may be one or two. The question is, how do we fix 'em? But, with the two best mechanics in the land, plus me, I think we can figure it out."

Cid wheezed a laugh. "I haven't had a challenge like this in years! This shore brightens up my retirement."

"I'm glad you're having fun old man, but I'd like to get to Iris sometime this century," Gladio replied gruffly.

"Oh, can it, muscle boy," Cid replied, unfazed. "There ain't a vehicle yet that I can't get up and runnin' in the time it takes to heat up a can of beans. And with Cindy and Holly helpin' out, we'll be waitin' on you instead."

"The only problem is," Talcott spoke up. "Once we've fixed it, how do we know how to fly it?"

Gladio glanced to Prompto.

"What you are you looking at me for," Prompto asked, confused.

"You figured out that hovercraft thing in Altissia. This should be a piece of cake for a 'technophile' like you, right," Gladio countered.

"Just because I did that one thing doesn't mean I can—"

"One problem at a time," Holly said brightly as Cid turned the truck into the most dystopian junkyard Gladio, Prompto, and Talcott had ever seen.

They really had turned the meteor crater into a giant trashcan. And its garbage was all metal. Some of it rusted, some of it menacing black, some bright blinding white. It was all a testament to what imperial technology had been, and how it was still just as susceptible to the ravages of time as anything else.

Cid stopped the truck at the last bit of open space they had. From here, they'd have to walk.

"I'll wait here and rest ma back. When y'all find that there airship, let me know," was Cid's contribution to the effort.

The rest of the party shook their heads and began the search.

"It feels like I will get tetanus just by looking at this stuff," Prompto volunteered, picking his way through the rusty rubble.

"Well if you get lockjaw, at least it will shut you up for awhile," Gladio replied tartly.

Talcott was not used to their byplay, and stared back at Gladio, appalled at the comment.

"I'm surprised you haven't gotten lockjaw from that bigass sword you carry," Prompto returned just as tartly, making Talcott realize his concern was not needed.

"I don't let it touch me," Gladio countered.

"Here's one," Holly called out, stopping any and all conversation.

They surveyed the black metal box. It still looked in remarkably good shape given the ten years of neglect.

"I just hope no guards come out of this thing," Prompto commented warily.

Cindy was already looking under what passed as its hood.

"Talcott, you go get Cid," Holly ordered. "Gladio, Prompto, you start clearing away what rubble you can around this thing. We will need all the room we can get for this thing to take off when we fix it."

Gladio stared back at her, eyes narrowed. "You taking charge now," he challenged.

She folded her arms. "Yes, want to make something of it," she challenged back.

Gladio's eyes gleamed. "Yes, but, maybe later," he returned, a dark promise in his tone that made Holly blush.

"A little help, big guy," Prompto demanded, breaking up Gladio's sizzling tension with Holly. He was forced to turn away to help Prompto lift up the heavy debris.

As he turned away, Gladio said to Holly, "I'm doing your bidding this time. But next time you need to do mine."

"We'll see about that," she returned, then turned her back on him to examine what appeared to be the aircraft's fuel tank.

* * *

The Marlboro roared in rage as the fire performed its deadly work. The green monster turned a blazing red as it crashed to the ground. Its final breath was black smoke, a grisly reminder of what had just happened to it.

Aranea made a cursory glance at the creature to verify its demise, then sprinted over to Lux.

"Oh, my God," she exclaimed, collapsing down by his fallen form.

He was unconscious and chalk-white. There was green goo drooling from his mouth, indicating a deadly poison. His ankles were stone-gray with the stone color spreading upwards slowly, like a venom.

Aranea glanced up to Ignis who had arrived on the scene. "He's been, poisoned, petrified, and is unconscious," she said, in horrified shock.

"If we get him to the car quickly, I may be able to fix this," Ignis replied sharply, then picked Lux up into his arms and carried him downhill.

It was taking all of Ignis's strength to do it. While Lux was just a boy, the spreading petrify spell was weighing him down. It was like Ignis was carrying a boulder in his arms. But he had to get Lux to their potion stash at the car. If the petrify spell reached the boy's heart, potions would not be able to cure him. Luna might be able to, but she wasn't here yet, and even then it was "iffy", especially since he was also poisoned. They couldn't touch the poison while he was petrified, but it was still in there, draining his lifeforce. And the longer he spent as stone, the more damage the poison would do.

What the hell had Lux been thinking! Aranea would have had the flame dagger in the Marlboro's mouth in another second, and Ignis would have had his flame dagger and polearm in the bastard's back to boot! Now, thanks to Lux's idiocy, they were getting him emergency healing that they may be too late to administer.

Not if Ignis could help it. He ignored the rapidly increasing weight of his burden and rushed Lux to the car. Aranea was already there, rummaging desperately for the right potions to do the job, praying that they had enough.

They didn't have time to make Lux comfortable. Ignis plopped him onto the grass next to the car so they could begin their work.

"The Gold Needle first," Ignis instructed. "We've got to get this stone off of him."

Aranea complied, pouring it over Lux with shaking hands. They may have already been too late—the ominious gray had spread to his shirt—turning Lux, clothes and all into a statue from the chest down.

Ignis was leaving nothing to chance and was already rummaging for another Gold Needle. He would use every one they had plus any remedies or elixers before he would admit defeat.

Aranea was sitting on the ground beside Lux, clutching his stone hand in hers—tears falling down her cheeks. Ignis ignored the heartbreak, focusing on getting results. He uncorked another potion and poured it onto Lux again, concentrating on his torso. It was hard to tell, but in the glare of the headlights, it looked like the gray color of the stone was changing, turning to white. Ignis poured another potion, and to his immense relief, the stone of Lux's shirt turned back to cloth.

"Look, Aranea," he said sharply, pointing to the sign of progress. The hope returning to her face said it all.

After another bottle, the stone had faded away completely, but they were not out of the woods yet. Now Lux was coughing—wet gross coughs as the Marlboro's poison settled in his lungs.

Ignis didn't play this time. He grabbed a bottle of Remedy—the potion that could cure almost all types of injuries (petrify and death being the only ones it couldn't handle). These potions were very hard to find as only a few apothecaries knew how to mix them. However, Ignis didn't care about how rare they were at the moment. He was tired of treating one symptom at a time. With petrify gone, he was going to cure every other possible ailment.

"He needs to drink this, Aranea," Ignis said sharply. "You need to hold him."

Aranea nodded and held his shoulders still so Ignis could pour the potion into his mouth. "Sorry about this," Aranea whispered, rubbing Lux's throat until his swallow reflex took over. They continued this process until the whole bottle was depleted.

They watched in relief as his color returned. His breathing became easier. The coughing stopped. His eyes opened, blearily, and stared at the two of them, taking in grim-faced Ignis and an obviously crying Aranea.

"You're, not dead," Lux gasped out, voice hoarse and cracked.

"No, but you almost were," Ignis replied sternly.

"Did I, get him," Lux asked, ignoring Ignis's scolding at the moment.

"Yes," Ignis replied gravely."

"Good," Lux murmured. "I'm, tired," he said, then lost consciousness once more.

Aranea started forward in alarm, until they heard him start to snore.

"He's asleep," Ignis said prosaically, then gently lifted him into the backseat of the car for a more comfortable rest.

"Thank goodness," Aranea whispered, then leaned against the car, hugging her knees, and shaking in reaction. Ignis put his arm around her and eased her head to his shoulder. She took the silent comfort he offered, holding him until her shaking subsided.

"What the hell was he thinking," she frantically whispered once she had recovered her sangfroid.

"I don't know," Ignis replied gently. "I'll ask him when he wakes up."

And realizing, after all that had happened, that he would in fact be waking up, made Aranea giggle in relief.

"Did you see him warp," Ignis asked Aranea in turn.

"I, must have missed it," she replied ruefully.

"I guess he does have the powers of Noct's bloodline," Ignis commented.

"Thanks to Ardyn," Aranea replied, a touch of bitterness. "Well, I will make sure he uses that power responsibly."

"I never thought otherwise," Ignis replied tenderly.

The two of them leaned against the car, arms around each other, watching the swirling night fog, and waited.

* * *

Ifrit knew the risk he was running, making a bargain with Ardyn. Ardyn was a man who would find any loophole, any way to break his promise. However, there would be no reason for him to protect Iris. She was nothing to him—just a means to an end. That, combined with the promise of immortality would keep Ardyn in line, for the moment anyway.

Maybe he shouldn't give Ardyn his immortality back—that would show him, Ifrit thought with a vicious smile. However, he still had faith in Ardyn. He would destroy humanity if given the chance—perhaps not deliberately, but by pursuing his own ambitions he would destroy humanity in the end. That is, if he had the power to do so. Restoring his immortality would all but ensure that outcome.

He was back to square one, Ifrit thought bitterly. Depending on Ardyn, a man he couldn't trust, to destroy the world. He had made that mistake before. However, leopards didn't change their spots. Even if Ardyn thought his ends justified the means, the means would still do more harm than good and end in destruction. All Ifrit had to do was give Ardyn his powers, then stand back and watch Ardyn do his job for him. Ifrit could still profit from all the "setbacks".

Setbacks, Ifrit thought with a sneer. It was all the Chosen King's and Oracle's faults. Amd they were still out there. And they had the power to undo everything. Noctis had managed to slay Ardyn even in his immortal, most powerful, state. He could easily do so again. And they wouldn't let Ifrit have Iris, at least not for long.

They were the true threat here, and one that, galling as it was, Ifrit knew he couldn't handle. Even with all the advantages he had had in Insomnia, they had been close, too close, to defeating him. And Leviathan was still a loose cannon as well. While she was severely weakened, he wouldn't put it past her to attempt a second round.

He was collecting quite a range of foes here, he thought bitterly. He should have already won. The Chosen King and the Oracle and Ardyn should be dead; Shiva and the rest of the Six should have ignored lesser beings and let Ifrit have his way with them. Without interference he would have had a daemon Lux in his pocket using the crystal to destroy everything, just as Ifrit wanted.

But his own had screwed him over. Even Bahamut, guardian of the afterlife and the crystal realm, had betrayed him, returning everyone, even Ardyn, from death. Shiva had fought back—he was glad that bitch was dead, he thought vehemently. And Leviathan dared to raise her fins against him too? And on top of that, Ramuh dared take his alleged child away from him?

Well, that was one thing he could remedy. It was time to take custody of his "daughter".

* * *

"That should do it," Cindy commented smugly, putting the last airship part in its rightful place.

Prompto stared at her in amazement. He had been pacing around the past several hours, listening to Cid and Cindy talk about "flap hydraulics," and "reverse thrusters," having no clue what the hell they were talking about. It was as though they were speaking a foreign language. However, Holly seemed to understand full well and had driven off in the truck to procure some "lubricant fuel".

"Do you know what's going on," Prompto had finally asked Gladio and Talcott, just to get shaking heads. They too were out at sea.

However, with all of the mechanics's efforts they had managed to put missing parts into (seemingly) their rightful places and had managed to fill the fuel tank up with some of the smelliest fuel Prompto had ever encountered.

"Moment of truth, Paw Paw. Start 'er up," Cindy ordered.

Cid was looking up at the craft's entrance hatch dubiously. There was no running board, and it was a good six feet up. "You've gotta be a dragoon to get into that dang thing," Cid grumbled. "And I ain't one."

Holly sighed. "Gladio, give me a boost," she ordered, striding over to the base of the craft.

Gladio smirked. "You want me to put my arms around you," he commented suggestively.

"Well you _are_ the strongest one here," she returned.

"Sure. _That's_ the only reason," Gladio quipped smugly, but did as he was asked. She clambered into the craft, made her way to the cockpit, then came back with a regretful look on her face.

"There seems to be some kind of security device. All the controls are locked down."

"Let me take a look at it," Cindy replied, then looked expectantly to Gladio to lift her up as well.

Holly gave him a look that said, "if you even think about getting fresh with Cindy I will cut your hands off." Gladio ignored her and lifted Cindy up as impersonnally as though she were a piece of bulky camping equipment.

She made her way to the security device, and poked around at it so long that the teammates outside became impatient.

"Well, what's the holdup," Cid called out abrasively from the doorway.

She hurried back and conveyed the bad news to the team.

"I guess instead of keys to start the engine, this thing uses a barcode scanner."

"Well, just take the dang thing off," Cid demanded.

"It don't work that way," Cindy returned. "This is plugged directly into the starter. You need the signal to complete the circuit or else the motor ain't ever startin'."

"I see," Holly replied. "The ignition is an incomplete circuit and needs something, either mechanical or electrical, to complete that circuit and get it to go."

Cindy nodded. "I'd say we can replace the thing with a mechanical key-based starter, but good luck findin' the parts we need for somethin' like that here. That kinda effort would take weeks. Unless we can find an imperial barcode, we're screwed," she added in frustration.

Cid and Holly looked crestfallen—they had managed to rebuild the engine and refuel it, but could not start the damn thing.

Prompto stared down at his forearm.

"Gladio, lift me up there," he ordered.

Gladio gave a put-upon sigh. "It was one thing liftin' up the ladies but you," he grumbled, but complied.

Prompto dashed to the barcode reader and waved his barcode tatoo over it. With a woosh, all the dashboard lights turned on, and the engine began revving.

"Well gadzooks! How'd you do that," Cindy chortled, running over to Prompto.

He smiled, hesitantly. "Well, it just so happens that I was, one of them, once. They gave me this barcode when I was very little. I have no memory of any of it," he added quickly. "I spent most of my life in Insomnia. I'm not 'really' one of them—I, just have the tattoo," he floundered, then looked to her as though expecting rejection or a slap.

Cindy simply nodded in understanding. "Welp, it works in our favor now, don't it," she said brightly.

"Move it," Cid cut in. "I'll figger these consarned controls out."

Cindy turned to Cid, startled. "How'd you get in here?"

"Eh, Bulky Boy gave me a hand," was Cid's blasé reply.

Cindy glanced around to see Talcott had made his way in too, likely also thanks to Gladio's strong arms.

But there was nobody to boost Gladio. The look on his face said he never wanted to lift anyone ever again. He looked at the entrance above him, sighed, and started hunting the surrounding area for something to stand on. He found a rusty crate, dragged it over, and used it as a makeshift step.

"Nobody help or anything," was his sarcastic greeting when he made it into the airship.

"I figured you'd think of something," Holly replied brightly. A grunt was her only reply.

"I think I got a handle on how this thing works," Cid replied, pulling a lever and succeeding in closing the entrance hatch. "Everyone, sit your asses down and buckle up tight. I've never flown before so who knows what'll happen?"

"Did you want me to try instead," Prompto asked. "I mean, I _was_ able to start the thing."

Cid scratched his head. "Nah I got it. I could use a copilot though. Sit over there and let me know if we're about to crash."

"That seems like the worst job in the world," Prompto replied, but did his bidding.

The rest of the group tensed up in their seats.

"Here's hoping we make it," was Talcott's contribution as the airship lurched up with a loud shaky rumble of engines.

The junkyard below them became smaller and smaller as their altitude increased.

"Ok. Moving forward, now," Cid said, moving the flight stick. The ship went into reverse amid a cacophony of distressed exclamations.

"Oops. Sorry. Guess I got the controls backwards," Cid commented, as blasé as possible then got the ship lumbering forward.

Despite the shaky start, it seemed that Cid may know what he was doing. Maybe they could reach Cape Caem as something other than a plummeting fireball after all.


	49. Chapter 49: Lectures and Investigations

**It's Friday again. YAY! I was able to write a bit more this week to help keep this train moving. I think I broke through a "wall" on my story that was stumping me a bit, so I think I will be able to get more done this weekend. Anyhoo, here goes, and thanks to everyone who is following this one. It still blows my mind that my new chapters get hits so quickly after publishing. It makes my day, and you guys and gals are the best!**

* * *

The warmth and scent of the ocean woke her. Iris opened her eyes, then instantly had to close them again to protect them against the too bright light. She felt, hungover. She was groggy, her head ached, and her mouth felt dry. Had she over-imbibed last night? Altissia did have a range of fine wines. But then, she had not partaken of any. She had needed all of her wits about her to keep track of—Ardyn.

Memory sliced back—fleeing the palazzo, pilfering provisions, setting sail. Then…

She sat up sharply to take stock of her surroundings.

"So, you are back with us I see," Ardyn drawled from behind the wheel.

In retrospect it occurred to her that she should have played unconscious for a bit longer until she could make more sense of what was going on. She'd have to brazen it out.

"You used a sleep spell on me," she accused, angrily.

Ardyn simply gave an indifferent shrug. "I felt terrible for interrupting your much-needed rest earier in the evening, so I decided to give you some," he replied, as oily as ever.

She rose, a bit unsteadily due to the movement of the boat and from the dregs of the spell in her system. The ocean flowed on all sides. They were evidently in the middle of the ocean. And she was trapped with Ardyn.

"Where are we going," she demanded.

"West," was Ardyn's unhelpful answer.

Iris couldn't tell if that was the truth or not. The sky was gray, blocking out the sun, the time of day, and their direction.

"What is west," she asked with clenched teeth and increasing frustration.

"Why, Niflheim. I thought you knew your geography," Ardyn taunted.

Iris clenched her fist, quelling the urge to punch his smug face in. She had to remember that she was at his mercy right now, so to speak, so could not antagonize him.

"Are we going to Tenebrae," she asked leadingly. "There is nothing else there worth the trip as far as I know."

"You are not an 'off the beaten path tourist' are you," Ardyn countered. "There are plenty of other things there. Like its deserts," he concluded ominiously.

"Lucis is one big desert. Why are we going to another one," Iris replied, getting desparate.

Ardyn thought for a moment, and folded his arms. "Ifrit is there," he finally replied. "Or rather, he is going there."

Iris felt sick at the mere mention of that fiend's name. All of her alarm bells were going off. It was taking all she had to keep from panicking.

She didn't even ask him how he knew. "And, are you planning on giving me to him," she asked as matter of factly as she could.

She was evidently successful in keeping control of her tone. Even Ardyn looked surprised for a moment and looked at her with increased respect.

"Well, he _is_ offering to pay a very high price for you. One that I would be foolish to pass up. Let's just say I am keeping my options open."

"And you really think he will play ball with you," Iris asked with shocked derision, on the verge of laughing hysterically.

"In this, I believe he will. He really does want you quite badly. I'm not certain why to be honest. While your skills are, admirable, they are nothing that would normally draw the attention of a God. Now, if it were Aranea he wanted," Ardyn ended with flash in his gaze.

It had been one thing to be the "bait" in Altissia. Leviathan had been there as a failsafe, and Noctis, Gladio, and the others would have arrived to assist. If she let Ardyn take her to Ifrit now, with no failsafes and no clues to the others of where she was going…it was unthinkable. She would not let Ardyn have his way, or let herself be presented to Ifrit as some kind of gift.

She felt no fear, just angry defiance as she climbed up the side of the boat and prepared to jump into the sea. At this point, death didn't scare her. Just...the slurping waves that would do the job. She'd have to get her reprieve by dying by drowning first, which gave her pause. That second of hesitation cost her dearly.

She would have done it—she was closer to that than she was to climbing back down into the boat. However, Ardyn didn't give her the chance. He wrapped an arm around her waist, pulled her back, and threw her back down onto the floor of the boat with a force that knocked the wind out of her.

"So eager to die, my dear? Trust me, I know from experience, death is overrated. Don't be so eager for it," he concluded with a dangerous edge.

"It's, better that then, what you and your 'boyfriend' have planned for me," Iris countered, the effect ruined by her still needing to gasp to regain her breath.

Ardyn smirked venomously. "Since you aren't going to be a compliant hostage, I suppose I need to incapacitate you," Ardyn said with mock regret. "Oh well. You brought this on yourself."

Iris figured another sleep spell was in order and braced herself, fully expecting it. It was far worse. The spell hit in the gut with the force of a stone. She watched in mounting horror as her shirt began turning stone gray around the impact. She had a second to look up to him in fear as she realized this was not a sleep spell but a petrify spell. The same spell he had used on the shark on the way to Altissia.

"Fear not," Ardyn murmured almost gently. "This spell is reversable, with the right resources."

Then Iris froze in place, a stone statue on the floor of the boat.

The boat rocked a bit with the sudden influx of ballast, but still kept itself afloat. Ardyn glanced down at her and sighed. "Why do you have to be so stubborn," he muttered. "You could have avoided this if you had simply obeyed me. Although I suppose, it is better this way, for you," he concluded. He returned to the wheel and continued their journey.

* * *

The birds of Cape Caem evidently did not wait for daylight to begin their day. They were up with the gray light of pre dawn, making such a racket that it woke Lux up. He tried to roll over to drown out the sound, just to realize the hard way that he was lying on the back seat of the car. He rolled onto the floor between the front and back seats with a jarring thud.

"Ow," he muttered, rubbing his likely now bruised hip.

"Are you all right," came a quiet voice from outside the car. Lux looked to the source. It was Ignis, and he appeared to have had a rough night. His light brown hair was sticking up, and he had creases under his eyes indicating he had not slept. He was sitting with his back against the car. Aranea was curled up asleep next to him on the ground, his coat as a makeshift pillow.

"I'm ok," Lux replied, sheepishly.

"You're ok _now_ ," Ignis replied with a sharp edge. "You have some explaining to do."

"What," Lux started defensively.

Ignis gave a pointed glance to Aranea who was still asleep. "Let's take a walk, shall we," Ignis asked, well, commanded.

Lux braced himself. He knew that tone. He was in trouble and was going to be punished. A part of him wanted to run away—he remembered Ifrit's "punishments." However, a part of him figured he deserved whatever Ignis had in mind. He was a burden to them, and if Ignis wanted to hurt him for it, he had to allow it.

He and Ignis kept pace as they walked towards the lighthouse.

"So, care to explain yourself," Ignis asked again, reintroducing the conversation.

"Explain what," Lux asked in confusion.

Ignis raked his hand through his hair again, evidently why it was sticking up. "You ran in, attacked a creature head on with no knowledge of what it was capable of, got yourself poisoned and petrified, nearly died, terrified your mother, and myself. Need I go on, or is that enough to start with," Ignis said with cold anger. To Lux, it was more terrifying than Ifrit's shows of strength.

Lux actually paled then began explaining what he could, in a desparate attempt to prevent physical harm. "I, didn't mean to," he replied in desperation. "I, saw you and Aranea were in danger and I wanted to help. I, don't want you guys to risk your lives. I want to be able to carry my own weight, and help protect you guys. I, know I'm weak, but I will get stronger and no longer be a burden to you. I promise."

Ignis stared at him in appalled silence. "You really think Aranea and I think you are a burden," he finally replied, stunned. "Have we ever given you that impression?" Ignis was genuinely shocked and confused by the very idea.

"Well, not in so many words. But, I've never been able to fight alongside you. You guys fight, so good. And then I just stand around getting in the way," Lux replied, humbly.

"Aranea and I have years worth of fighting experience over you," Ignis replied. "It is unreasonable to expect that you can or should keep us with us in combat. Your day to fight will come, and my fervent hope is that Aranea and I can protect you until the day you need to, and that that day, you will be ready for it."

"Will, you and Aranea teach me to fight like you do," Lux asked hopefully.

Ignis pondered for a moment. "I, think Noct would be the best person to train you. With that warping power you have, it is a close match for his technique. He could teach you to leverage your strengths better than Aranea and I could. However, I for one will be happy to teach you what I know as well. I wouldn't want you to think I am delegating to Noct," Ignis replied with a smirk.

"I know I know. School is boring, so you've got to share the load," Lux replied with a smirk of his own.

Ignis chuckled. "Even combat school can be boring. Lots of endless exercises, getting knocked to your backside in a sparring match until you can best your opponent. It is no picnic I assure you."

"But then, at the end, I can fight like you guys and take on Marlboros for real," Lux replied.

Ignis nodded, still smirking. "There is that. A worthy goal indeed. You did manage to take one down today though. With more training, you could annihilate it."

"So, what I did, worked," Lux asked in awe.

"Well, not exactly. You didn't walk away completely unscathed," Ignis replied dryly. "However, it 'worked' in the sense that you vanquished it. In order to 'truly' win a battle though, you must either be completely self-sufficient, as in, you can win and walk away yourself; or you must depend on your teammates and leverage their skills to win. In order to do the latter, you must communicate with your teammates. Rushing in without thinking can endanger you, or them."

"But, I only rushed in because I thought you guys were in danger. You didn't communicate with me," Lux pointed out.

Ignis smiled ruefully. "You are correct. We did, fall short there. I will endeavor to do better in the future, and I will convey the same to Aranea."

Lux actually looked abashed that his comment was taken so seriously. "Well, I guess you guys have no reason to see me as a teammate, at least until I am a better fighter," Lux conceded.

"You are one of the team now," Ignis stated firmly. "Speaking of teammates, let's see if your mother is awake yet."

Aranea was awake by the time they returned. Upon seeing Lux awake and well, she stormed up to him.

"Don't you ever do something like that again. Do you have any idea what you put me through?"

"Ignis already told me. I'm sorry," Lux replied with such contrition that it stopped Aranea mid-spate. She had been expecting defensive excuses, not agreement and apologies.

"Oh. Ok then," she replied, flustered, then stiffened as she heard the approaching car.

They all craned their necks to see who it was, and were rewarded by the familiar rental car pulling to a stop besides Ignis's car.

Noctis, Luna, and Cor trooped out, wearing the strangest armor Ignis had ever seen.

"Shopping trip," Aranea quipped as way of greeting.

"You could say that," Noctis replied dryly.

"I assume that armor has some kind of significance," Ignis commented.

"Yeah," Cor replied. "It proves what an asshole Ifrit is, and gives us the means to fight back. This stuff is flameproof. Even with one piece on, it works. And there's six pieces here."

"That's handy for when we track down Ifrit," Aranea replied. "Now we just need to figure out how to get to Altissia."

"We need to do it quick," Noctis replied. "Ravus is already there and he says Iris and Ardyn may have fled the city already."

"That son of a bitch," Aranea replied in fury. "I will track that little prick down and make him pay for this!"

Cor couldn't resist. "Who, Ravus," he asked deadpan.

"No! Ardyn. That…" Aranea went off on such a profane tirade that everyone just stared openmouthed.

"I don't even know most of those words, but I'm guessing I shouldn't use them. Right, Ignis," Lux asked.

"You'd guess correctly," Ignis replied dryly. "Although, now I'm sure you will go off and use them behind our backs. If you do see fit to use them, please do not use them in public."

"Wow, Iggy," Noctis said surprised. "I wish you were that tolorent with me when I was younger. It was basically a penny jar every time I said something bad."

"I was never that priggish," Ignis replied defensively. "However, foul language is not becoming in a king."

"But since I'm not king I can use them," Lux replied michieviously.

"I think you created a monster, Ignis," Luna replied dryly.

"No, I fear I did," Aranea spoke up. "I shouldn't have used those words, but Ardyn…" she broke off with an angry sigh.

"Even if they have departed Altissia it still behooves us to go there," Ignis replied calmly, back to business. "We can reunite with Ravus and compare notes. He will want to know about this armor you found."

"And what a brutal captor Ifrit is," Luna replied with a shudder. "He's…" she was interrupted by the sound of an, imperial airship?

"A magitek engine? It's close," Ignis replied instinctively. Old habits died hard.

They all looked up to see the black metal airship hovering overhead. Then Noctis's phone beeped.

"A text, now," he muttered in shock. He ignored it, to continue looking up at the ship, expecting trouble. But the text sounds were incessant, as though the same one was being sent five times in a row.

To stop the annoyance, he looked to see it was a whole stream from Gladio.

 _"It's us"_

 _"Got airship"_

 _"Quit gawking"_

 _"Go to clearing a mile to the west"_

 _"Move, dummy"_

Noctis waved at the ship, pointed westward, and gave it a thumbs up. It responded by moving westward.

"Let's follow it," Noctis said. "Gladio somehow got one of those things working."

"Gladio did," Aranea commented in surprise. "I didn't think he'd know how to tie his shoes without instructions."

"Well, I'm guessing Cindy had something to do with it," Noctis replied dryly, making his way to the car, leaving the others to follow suit.

"I shall follow with Aranea and Lux, Noct," Ignis replied intently. "Lead the way."

The party made their way to the clearing to meet with their comrades.

* * *

Ravus prided himself on being a decent investigator. Being in a position of authority in the Imperial Army had required him to administer justice on occasion. And he didn't take the word of just any entitled aristocrat with an axe to grind against a "lesser citizen." He had a knack for ferreting out the truth. Which is why it was so galling now that he couldn't find anything.

He supposed that wasn't entirely true. He had been able to determine that Iris's bed had been slept in, indicating that she had disappeared in the middle of the night sometime. Due to the locked door, the clueless guards stationed in the hallway at all times, and the open balcony window, Ravus was able to determine that she and Ardyn must have gone out the window. But beyond that, he could not conjecture any further.

Ardyn's room, which he checked second, yielded even less. The guards had seen Ardyn "retire" to it. However, the room did not look lived in at all, which made it seem as though Ardyn had not spent any time in it. The door and windows were locked, which made Ardyn's escape even stranger. How had he done it? There was no balcony off of his room—evidently Claustra didn't trust him to have any kind of outside access. And even with his warping power, he would have been unable to warp out the window and lock the window on his way out without plunging into the smelly canal below.

That left the door then. However, there were guards patrolling the hallway. They would have seen him. Unless…that shapeshifting bastard!

"You there," Ravus demanded to the nearest guard. "Have you been patrolling this corridor all night?"

The guard scatched his head. "Well, aside for the occasional bathroom break, but Bianchi over there covered. We work as a unit and only take breaks when the other is around."

Bianchi overheard. "That is correct. I was here the whole time Marzo wasn't."

"Did you see anyone," Ravus asked.

"Nobody but the servants," the guard called Marzo replied. Bianchi concurred.

So, he disguised himself as a servant, Ravus confirmed to himself bitterly. That was the only thing that made sense.

"Is it unusual for servants to be around here this late at night," he asked the guards instead.

"Well, yes. But I figured since we had such an, unusual guest, Her Eminence wanted servants around," Marzo commented.

Ravus saw the logic in this, even though if they had been a bit more suspicious, they could have averted a lot of this. Although, he had to concede that he was one of the few who knew of Ardyn's "special" ability. They would not have known to look for it.

Ravus pieced together enough about what had probably happened—Ardyn had snuck to Iris's room in the middle of the night disguised as a servant, then had either by force or coercion, had ushered her out the back way. But as to where they had gone after that, or where they were going, he was at a loss. Except…they had to have had a boat to get here. And if Claustra had intercepted them then she knew where their boat was. He was an idiot. He should have started there rather than wasting time in either of these rooms.

"Do you know where their boat is," he asked Marzo and Bianchi.

"At the dock I imagine," Marzo replied. "The harbormaster would know. He tracks everyone who comes in."

Ravus didn't have time to wait around. He ran outside the palazzo, just to be stymied by the canal in front of the building. He sprinted to the neighboring quays, just to be blocked by the same watery hurdle. He had no way back to the port district from here.

"Godammn this motherfucking place," he exploded aloud. "Don't they have roads in this shithole?"

"Shut up! I'm trying to sleep here," a voice slurred from his left.

Ravus turned to see movement in one of the gondolas parked at the side of the canal. The man who spoke staggered sleepily to his feet. He had evidently been sleeping in the boat. The man staggered out of the gondola and glared angrily at Ravus. His striped shirt indicated he was a gondolier.

"Since you woke me up you owe me another bottle," the man slurred. Ravus realized that the man was not just sleepy but partially drunk.

The idea popped into his head. Ravus didn't even think about the ethics or repercussions. "I'll pay you the cost of two bottles if you lend me your gondola so I can go to the port district," Ravus replied.

The man blinked at him, digesting what Ravus had just offered frustratingly slowly. "You want to take my baby away for the price of two bottles of vino," the man finally replied in disbelief. "Georgio here is my best bud," he commented kicking at the gondola. "We've been through so much together. No way I will give him up even for a whole cask of vino!"

Ravus clenched his fist in frustration. Leave it to him to find the one drunk guy with common sense.

"Well, how about you sail me there yourself? Would you do that for the cost of two bottles," Ravus asked.

The man brightened like he had just been offered a million dollars. "Well! Why didn't you say so! I'm a night ferryman. I'm off-duty, but I'll sail you over there for my usual price."

"That works," Ravus said, and stepped gracefully into the gondola.

It was only after they set sail that he remembered that his gondolier was not 100% sober. The man yelled out what were probably supposed to be "romantic" songs, but just sounded like a raucous cacophony. Lights in the neighboring windows turned on amid a chorus of "Shut up, Manzini!" Evidently he was a known entity around here, Ravus thought dryly, doing his best to hold himself steady as the gondola swayed and swerved thanks to the dubious judgement of his tipsy gondolier.

Ravus had to be grateful he was wearing his sweatpants, tee shirt, and jacket combo. He very much thought this ride would end with him face-first in the canal, and had he been wearing his armor, he would have drowned. He had hit two new lows today, now that he thought about it. First, he had had a diplomatic conversation with Claustra wearing "low class" clothes. Second, he had consorted with a drunk gondolier, a fool someone of his caliber should never have had to deal with. Still, if he was able to rescue Iris safe and sound, it would all be worth it.


	50. Chapter 50: Family Reunion

**Hey there! New chapter coming your way! I was so close to going to an anime con last week (it even had Ray Chase and Robbie Daymond, Noctis and Prompto's English VA's there), but real life intruded, preventing me. Oh well, maybe next time. Anyways, here is the next installment. Hope you like and thanks a bunch as always.**

* * *

The northern wastes of Eos were an ecological contradiction. The jagged mountains, striped with jet black basalt and bloody iron rock told all who beheld them that they were volcanoes, and to stand alongside them was tantamount to roasting to death. Yet the peaks were capped with ashy snow, and the breezes blowing down the valley were bitter cold.

Inside Agneya's nest, a mountain cave nestled between the peaks, Ramuh shivered. He was more comfortable in the humid, storm-laden air than he was in the dry heat and bitter cold. To escape the cold, he made his way to the lava pool on the other side of the cave to warm up, only to instantly become too hot and make his way back to the cooler side. In between feeding, changing, and nurturing Ageneya, this is how he spent his days—pacing between cold and hot in an effort to stay comfortable.

Still, his efforts were paying off. Agneya, sleeping peacefully in her stone crib with a wall of icicles on one side and a lava pool on the other, had grown significantly since they had first arrived. Still, it would be years before she would be ready to assume her duties. And years for him to take care of her. However, he would take on these duties—the world, and humans, depended on it.

The lava pool beside him bubbled sharply and suddenly, as though given a sudden influx of heat. Ramuh stiffened. There was something very powerful close by—something with power connected to the heat. He glanced at Agenya uneasily then left the cave, making sure his lightning bolts were close at hand, for all the good they would do him.

He found Ifrit wandering down the path a half mile away. His giant form, usually molten in appearance, was burned out, as though he were made of lava that had been engulfed in ice. His hair was bleached as white as the snows of the peaks. He looked exhausted and weak. Ramuh was taking no chances though. "If you are here for Agneya, you cannot have her," Ramuh stated firmly.

"Agneya," Ifrit replied blankly.

"Don't give me that," Ramuh snapped back. "You know full well that is your daughter. Why else would you have come here? How else could you have found her?"

"Really," Ifrit replied. "With how much Shiva loved humans, how do I know she's mine," he added bitterly, just as he had to Shiva.

It was Ramuh's turn to clench his fists. "You have disowned her. Why are you here?"

"I actually came to see you," Ifrit replied, seemingly serious.

Ramuh folded his arms cynically. "Why? We have nothing to say to each other."

"I have come to apologize," Ifrit began. "I, did not mean to harm Leviathan. She, attacked me, and forced me to defend myself. I never wanted to hurt her. And now the waters are suffering as a result. I, never wanted that."

Ramuh stared back, nonplussed. He was expecting Ifrit to stride in and demand the chid he had forsworn. To have him coming offering apologies and excuses was disturbing. And what was worse, all signals seemed to indicate that Ifrit meant what he said. He clung to his suspicions with desperation. "The fact remains that you have caused incredible harm. Apologies are not good enough," Ramuh stated coldly.

"I know," Ifrit said sadly. "I, have come to the coldest spot in the land to offer myself to you to justice. It is the only way I can make amends."

Ramuh was even more disturbed. "And, are you sorry for Shiva," he replied, as merciless as a judge.

Ifrit's face clenched in pain. Tears appeared in the corners of his eyes. "Her, most of all," he finally replied. "She was, the last one I wanted to hurt."

How had they come to this, Ramuh thought sadly. Six Gods who had existed alongside each other for eons, now reduced to fighting amongst themselves and dying. And not deaths that they would reincarnate from. Still, Ifrit had started this. No matter how much Ramuh wanted to believe him, Ifrit still had to pay the price for his actions. "Apologies cannot suffice in this case, Ifrit," Ramuh replied, coldly, but with a twinge of regret in his tone that he couldn't hide.

Ifrit hung his head. "I, thought so. Then, there is no other solution for me than to climb the highest peak and await death. It, should happen quickly in this cold. I, shall leave you in peace. If, I may make one final request, please, take care of Agneya. She is, but a baby after all." And with that, Ifrit began walking off to his apparent suicide.

Ramuh should be merciful and kill him quickly, rather than make him trek up the mountain and await death. However, his powers were not designed for the heat and coldness of this land. It was taking all of his strength just to keep the balance of fair weather and foul. His current lightning bolt attacks were laughably weak even for a God who was willing to passively wait for death. Still, it would be callous to just let Ifrit wander off alone to his suicide. After all of these years, the least Ramuh could do was offer him support.

"Wait," Ramuh replied as Ifrit turned away to his death march.

Ifrit halted, and looked over his shoulder hesitantly. He tensed up, as though expecting a blow

"I, will go with you," Ramuh replied sadly. "Nobody should be alone, at the end."

"I appreciate your comfort," Ifrit replied with as much dignity as he could muster.

Ramuh and Ifrit were silent as they ascended the mountain. It was mainly out of necessity. Neither could tolerate the bitter cold very well. While it was not as deadly to Ramuh as it was Ifrit (cold being Ifrit's polar opposite power), Ramuh was still suffering during the trek.

At long last, they reached the plateau at the summit. The cold, thin, dry air swirled around them in a howling wind. They stared down in silence to the valley tens of thousands of feet below. At this height, they could not even see what was below. Although, it didn't really matter, Ramuh thought.

Ifrit sat down and crossed his legs in meditation. "This seems as good a place as any," he stated to his companion.

"Yes. It is quite the majestic spot," Ramuh replied. "It is the tallest thing around, which lightning always loves."

"Do you get your powers from tall places," Ifrit asked, genuinely curious.

"Some places, yes, but not here. The air is too dry."

Ifrit smirked, Ramuh's only warning. "Good," he heard Ifrit mutter as he felt the firm pressure on his shoulders pushing him forward, over the edge. There was nothing—just cold bitter air offering no support to Ramuh as he plummeted downwards.

What a fool he had been, Ramuh thought in anger. Ifrit had not changed at all. He had been planning this all along. He desperately rifled through whatever residual static energy existed in the air to slow his fall. In desperation, he realized there was nothing—the cold thin air was not giving him enough energy to work with. He plummeted faster and faster and realized in a rush of panicked despair that there was nothing to save him.

He closed his eyes as the hard murderous ground threw itself into his path. He felt an instant of intense pain, then oblivion. Any Gods slain by their own did not return. And then there were four…

* * *

Ifrit watched Ramuh fall, until his view was blocked by the clouds in between. He felt no triumph over his victory; no grief, just cold. He had to hug his chest to keep from shivering. Curse Ramuh! Why did he bring the damned child here? And Ifrit knew she was here, and was related to him. Since he had regained his powers in the desert, he had felt flickers of familiar heat leading him closer and closer to this location. The flickers were feeble, too feeble to be volcanic in origin. And they were centered at a mountain a mile away.

Ramuh was a fool to think he could hide his daughter from him, Ifrit sneered. Especially since she truly was related to him. That heat signal was a beacon that would lead him to her no matter where she was hidden.

Ifrit's gamble had been correct. Ramuh was too compassionate for his own good. It left a gap a mile wide that could be exploited. Ifrit knew that if he piled on the martyrdom, Ramuh would eat it up and leave him an opening. It was the tears that sold it, Ifrit thought, an actor critiquing his own performance. However, those tears had not been an act. He had dredged through all of his feelings for Shiva, digging past the anger, and found sadness and pain beneath. Pain that had brought him to tears. Despite his ulterior motive in getting Ramuh to believe in his penitence, what he had felt about Shiva in that moment, and his response to Ramuh, had been genuine.

Ifrit shook off any residual regret for Shiva. There was nothing he could do about it now, and to dwell upon it would avail him nothing. He refused to feel any regret for Ramuh either. He had been an obstacle in his path that needed removal. Still, he hoped Ramuh's demise had been quick. He had taken it upon himself to take care of Agneya after all. He deserved some kind of recompense for that.

The descent down the mountain was bitter cold. Ifrit was unable to control his shivers now. Even the Rubicant armor that protected him from the cold was failing him. He heard the hiss of steam from far off, and hurried towards the bubbling hot spring at the base of one of the volcanoes. The water was sulpherous and boiling. It would have burned a human alive had they decided to take a dip. It left Ifrit unscathed. He climbed in, clothes and all, and absorbed the scalding heat.

He felt his powers, weakened since foggy Altissia, begin to return. His flesh returned to molten. His hair back to fiery red. Ifrit grinned in smug satisfaction. He had what he needed to handle things.

Refreshed from his stint in the hot spring, Ifrit emerged and made his way to the mountain cave sheltering his daughter. If he hadn't known she was there, he never would have known there was a cave. There was a pile of rocks in front of it, leaving only a few feet gap between the rock pile and the entrance. Ifrit had to convert to his Belenus form to fit through it.

The cave became colder and colder the further from the entrance he got. Luckily his dip in the spring had revived him, or else this would have probably frozen him in place. He found the sleeping baby wrapped in a blanket inside a stone crib, a wall of icicles on one side and a puddle of lava on the other side. The only way fire and ice could coexist so closely was because of the infant before him.

She was, small, for a God. But then, he had never met an infant God before. He gingerly moved the blanket with his index finger to study her little face. She had Shiva's pale skin and delicate features, he noticed. The movement must have disturbed her. She woke up and he saw his own firey eyes staring back at him. There could be no doubt that she was his child as well as Shiva's.

Ifrit gulped, for a second, unnerved. How could he even carry her without breaking her? She seemed so fragile that even poking her would hurt her. Agneya was silent, staring at him in blank confusion.

"I, am your father," he found himself saying, awkwardly. Agneya blinked, then started screaming.

He looked around, momentarily lost in the face of a screaming baby. What was he supposed to do? Perhaps she was hungry, he thought desperately. He would start there. She was a being of fire and ice, though, and he refused to feed her ice. He reached into the lava puddle, scooped up some lava in his hand then gingerly dripped some into her mouth. It was like hitting a switch. Agneya gorged herself on lava, stopped screaming, and stared back at him expectantly.

What else did she want, he wondered in mounting desperation. Agneya took pity on him. With a full belly, her eyes drifted closed again, and she fell back to sleep.

He picked her up, stone cradle and all, and strode out of the cave. He ignored any twinges of conscience, any nagging thoughts that questioned if he had gone too far. He had his daughter and his hostage. This should keep the Chosen King and Oracle in line.

* * *

The black imperial airship was waiting in the clearing just Gladio had said. The two carloads of warriors piled out of their cars to stare up at the sight. As soon as the cars were spotted, the hatchway opened. Ignis braced himself—he still half expected a horde of robot warriors to jump out of it like what had happened in the past.

He shook his head in rueful relief when he saw Cindy peer out of the hatch and start waving exuberantly at them.

"Come on, guys and gals! Your ride to Altissia is here!"

"Not that comfortable a ride," Gladio grumbled out the door as well. "I mean, there's no drinks or peanuts offered on this flight."

"Eh, shut up," Cid grated out from his spot in the cockpit. "At least we ain't messin' with sea monsters," he gloated.

"He's got a point," Prompto volunteered hesitantly from his copilot seat.

The still grounded party of Aranea, Ignis, Lux, Cor, Luna, and Noctis stared up at the hatch dubiously. It was too tall to climb into. Even with Gladio leaning down to offer a lift, it was too tall.

"What do you think," Cor asked the group. "Should we pull one of the cars up? We could climb through the sunroof to the roof of the car to give us more height."

"You mean, use the car as a step," Noctis replied, condensing Cor's instruction to its most basic components.

Aranea looked at the airship's engine turning the air beneath the ship hazy with heat. "I dunno. These engines burn pretty hot. That plus a nearby car and its gas tank could blow us up upon takeoff."

"I, hadn't thought of that," Cor replied humbly. "Any other suggestions?"

"Warping it is," Noctis said, resigned. "Luna," he held out his arms expectantly. She waded into them under force of habit, and he warped her inside.

"I've got dragoon leap," Aranea spoke up. "I can take folks."

"I call first," Lux said brightly, leaping forward so she could grab him and make the leap.

"That is totally badass," he said as soon as she deposited him into the cabin of the ship. "I can't wait until I can figure out how to warp whenever I want to," he quipped.

"Start practicing then," she quipped back, then returned to the ground. Noctis had already dealt with Cor, which left just Ignis standing there, glancing up at the ship bemusedly.

"Looks like I'm the next shuttle," Aranea said a little shyly. "You ready for a ride," she broke off embarrassed as she realized a double meaning to what she had just said. She could feel her face flame bright red.

Ignis smirked. "I imagine you would prefer I didn't answer that," he replied dryly. "At least, not yet," he added with a dark promise in his tone.

Aranea did her best to stoicly ignore it, as well as the strength and warmth of his body as she, for all intents and purposes, embraced him as they made the leap into the ship.

"Everyone aboard," Holly chimed in, then scanned the ground and the cabin to ensure all were accounted for. Attendence taken, she pulled the lever closing the hatchway door, locking them all into the cold metal box that would be their transportation.

"I think we should all buckle up," Talcott ventured. "This thing is kind of bumpy."

Everyone made their way to the walls, lined with folding metal seats held in place by the latched seatbelts. Lux plopped down, buckling himself in with the eagerness of a kid going on a roller coaster ride.

"Don't be so excited," Aranea cautioned him, buckling in beside him. "These things are pretty uncomfortable."

"Oh," he replied, a little crestfallen.

"It may be fun, who knows," Noctis replied archly from his place on Lux's other side beside Luna.

"Nobody gets airsick do they," Cor asked darkly.

"You'd better not," Cid hollered from the cockpit. "This thing's got no windows we can open to puke out of."

"We shall endeavor to hold our stomachs in check," Ignis replied dryly, taking his place as the ship made a rocky liftoff.

"Next stop, Altissia. Please keep your seatbelts fastened and your tray tables in an upright and locked position," Prompto added archly.

"What tray tables? What food even," Gladio snarked, just to be ignored.

The party began their aerial crossing of the sea.


	51. Chapter 51: Raising Stakes

**Greetings everyone! Got the next chapter ready to go. I admit I didn't have much time to write lately (have had to put in long hours at work) but I'm hopeful I can keep the regular posting pace going. Hope the story is still holding people's interest-I don't want to be posting garbage that nobody likes :( Thanks to everyone who is reading and following.**

* * *

With a rough jolt, the gondola hit a red and white pole.

"Oops. My bad," the gondolier commented jovially, tying up the boat surprisingly competently given his inebriated condition. "Here you go, the port district. That will be 1000 gil."

Ravus did a shocked double-take. "How much again," he asked.

"One zero zero zero gil," the man responded as though speaking to an idiot.

Ravus was an idiot, he realized. The number one rule of tourist transportation: negotiate the rate in advance and walk away if the price was too high. He had blundered into this one like a clueless buffoon. He sighed. "Here. You should be able to buy 100 bottles of vino with this," he snarked.

The gondolier brightened. "Nope. This is going to pay off my college fund. I'm studying to be a lawyer," he replied jovially.

Ravus just stared back bemused for a moment. "Well, you have a knack for it," he finally commented dryly. This guy could rip people off like a champ.

The man grinned then untied his boat and sailed off, yelling his gondolier songs all the way down the canal.

Ravus didn't have to do much to track down Ardyn's boat. He easily tracked down the guards gathered around an empty pier, waving lights at the foggy sea. It appeared the fog had been a harbinger of a storm. The fog was periodically illuminated by flashes of lightning, temporarily changing it from misty gray to bright white.

"We're too late," one of the guards lamented to Ravus as soon as he was recognized. "The boat was already gone when we got here. We have patrols out, but with this fog and now this storm, I'm not too hopeful."

Ravus's shoulders slumped in defeat. He was too late. Iris and Ardyn were gone. "Any idea where they went," Ravus asked as a matter of course.

The guard shook his head. "We'll let you know what we find out. In the meantime, there is nothing for you to do here."

Ravus knew that expression—it was one he had used in his official inquires. It was the code word for, "we have nothing. Get out out of our way so that we can find something."

Ravus strode off down the pier, watching the fog and the flickering ocean sky with impotent frustration. Iris and Ardyn were out there, in this weather. Where the hell were they going? Would they even make it in this weather? And how the hell would Ravus ever find her? He tried to keep his mind focused on the now, but all he could think about was Iris drowning in a shipwreck or getting struck by lightning. His blood chilled at the thought.

He had failed her, on a fundamental level. He had wanted to be her protector—God knows her brother was piss poor at it. It appeared he was no better. Even if she made it through the weather, she was still in Ardyn's clutches. And the thought of her ending up like Luna at Ardyn's hands made him physically sick.

It didn't make it any better when he looked around and realized that in his aimless wanderings he had made his way to the Altar of the Tidemother. Luna had died here—and it looked like his dream of saving Iris had died here too.

The Altar was gray, to suit his mood. The gray light of early dawn and the gray fog reflected in the lagoon below, turning everything monochromatic. It was as though everything had turned grayscale, except for the random flashes of white with each lightning strike. And the black shadow under the water. A shadow that broke the surface with a splash that drenched him. He shook his suddenly wet graying platinum blond hair out of his face and stared down at Leviathan.

Rather than emerge at full terrifying height, she stayed in the water with her serpent head just peeking out of the water, staring at him.

"Go ahead, say it. Unless you refuse to speak to non-chosen ones," Ravus demanded bitterly.

"I, don't know what you mean," Leviathan replied, genuinely confused. Lightning flashed for a moment, and Leviathan looked sharply in its direction, a look of almost terror on her face before turning back to Ravus to hear his response.

"We, I, failed. Ardyn and Iris were here. We could have lured Ifrit here, but we were not fast enough. Now they are gone. There is no way to get Ifrit to you now."

Given Leviathan's past treatment of them, Ravus fully expected virulent hatred. She had made it obvious that she thought the "Warriors of Light" were nuisances.

"You, did not fail," Leviathan stated, resigned. "It was a, shortsighted, plan on my part. I did not, anticipate how much he, injured me, or, how much the seas would suffer as a result. The world is off-balance. In order to adjust that balance, I need to be able to defeat Ifrit and also protect the oceans at the same time. I, cannot do that."

Ravus digested her reaction, surprised by it. She was actually humble, admitting faults. He actually felt, compassion for her.

"You don't need to be that strong," he replied. "If we could have lured Ifrit here, it would have all been over."

Leviathan laughed bitterly, a flash of her old self. "Ifrit did come here. I sensed him, but was too weak to engage him. All I could do was discourage him from fighting by activating the fog bank. And this is me at my 'strongest'."

Ravus turned pale. This put a new complexion on things. What he was hearing wasn't just humility. It was that of a God who had given up. And with a God giving up the fight, where did it leave them?

"Did Ifrit take Iris," Ravus demanded sharply. "And don't give me some bullshit like you don't know. You are a God—you have some kind of omniscience don't you?"

"I am not omniscient. I am fallible and can make mistakes. But, I know he did not take her. I sensed when he departed. And he was alone."

"How the hell did he leave in this weather? Wouldn't the water kill him?"

"I helped him leave. I gave him one fog free path that he could use to escape in. To trap him here longer would have forced a confrontation that would not go well for the city or myself."

"Then, you know where he's going?"

"Yes. He traveled north. He, has taken custody of Agneya."

Ravus stiffened. "Shiva's daughter?"

"Indeed. And his too."

"But, he disowned her. Why claim her now?"

"That, I do not know. I had hoped Ramuh could protect her, but I was wrong. I no longer sense Ramuh's presence."

"You mean, Ramuh is…"

"With this sudden lightning storm, I fear so. With Bahamut guarding the Other Side, Titan and I are the only ones left who can do anything. And, given the fact that even I, with my powers of water, could do little against him, Titan with his powers of earth will be useless. All he can do is keep the land masses stable."

Ravus stared back in grave comprehension. "What happens now," Ravus demanded. "With Ramuh gone, what can we expect?"

"Thunderstorms that do not end. The skies will be just as dangerous as the seas." As if on cue, lightning flashed again, and a muffled boom of thunder could be heard in the fog.

Ravus stared out at the ocean—the same spot where Luna had faded away ten years ago. He felt a flash of nihilistic despair. "Tell me the truth, Leviathan. Is there any point in defeating Ifrit at this point? It seems to me that the world is doomed anyway."

"Ifrit is causing all of the unrest. He is destroying the balance. Take that away, and the planet will find its center again. However, you will need to ensure Agneya survives. She can fill the void left by her parents."

It was sounding more and more like a rescue mission with a dash of revenge. "But who will fill Ramuh's void," Ravus countered.

"I, will confer with Bahamut to see what he knows and see if we can help offset Ramuh's loss. In the meantime, you must see to Ifrit."

"In other words, you don't know what to do about Ramuh," Ravus replied coldly, straight to the point.

Leviathan shook her head. "I, do not. Please understand, this is the first time in eons that we have faced this. We never thought to have one of our own turn on us like this and break the cycle of rebirth. Bahamut knows all. I am certain he will have an answer."

"And he is not here now because," Ravus asked bitingly.

"He must guard the Other World. If he comes here, all the dead will follow. We made exceptions for you. However, if every living thing who has died returns here all at once, it will end the world just as surely as Ifrit will."

"And, where is Titan in all this," Ravus demanded. "Keeping the balance," he asked scathingly.

"Without Titan, the continents will be reclaimed by the sea. And I cannot add anything further to my dominion at this point. Titan and I must work together to keep the shell of the planet functioning."

Ravus sighed. He was tired of the Six. It was because of them that Luna's life had been forfeit from the start. Their powers, and the quest to gain those powers had robbed her of a childhood, of a normal life, and in the end had killed her. Yes, the Six brought her back, as they did him. However, he was beginning to think it was because they wanted them to clean up their mess.

"If you turned the world to a gigantic ocean, wouldn't it kill Ifrit? He'd have nowhere else to go, and I doubt endless ocean would be good for him," Ravus snarked sarcastically.

Leviathan glanced at him in sudden interest. "That would work, if you want to sacrifice all life on this planet," she replied.

Ravus backed off immediately. "No! Although, it seems to be a plan right up your alley though. Why not offer it?"

"Despite what you think of us, we do love humans, and life on this planet. Most of us would prefer to save humanity wherever possible."

"But not Ifrit though," Ravus replied.

"No. His, dislike, of humans is confusing, and disturbing, to the rest of us. In deference to your position as brother to the Oracle, I have given you enough information. It is time for you to do your part," Leviathan concluded, returning to her usual imperiousness.

There was no way to rail against this fate. If Ravus tracked down Ifrit, it would ensure that Iris would not be given to him. If he slew Ifrit before Iris got there, Ifrit could not hurt her. And if Ardyn was leading her to Ifrit, he would find them too. And he would kill Ardyn for even thinking of taking her to him.

"Any ideas on where he is going next," Ravus asked.

"No. However, it will be somewhere hot and/or dry. That is the only way he can use his powers to best effect right now."

"Well, that narrows it down," Ravus replied caustically.

"Confer with your friends. They are on their way here as we speak. They may have insight that you do not have." And with those parting words, Leviathan returned to the lagoon, leaving Ravus with more questions than answers.

* * *

Aranea shifted uncomfortably in her seat, doing her best to keep her legs awake. The hard metal seats of the airship pinched nerves painfully. She had forgotten this little detail.

Lux had gotten bored, so was pacing the ship and pestering Cid and Prompto with questions about the controls. Cid just grunted over his shoulder to him. Prompto seemed more inclined, and began discussing what he knew. He even confided the barcode piece of it.

Lux looked down at his own arm. "I don't have a barcode," he commented regretfully.

Prompto shrugged. "I guess not all imperials got them. Not like it matters though," he commented offhandedly.

Cindy glanced at him sharply. She knew it mattered a great deal to Prompto that he had one—it was still a source of shame to him. However, it seemed like he was being blasé about it to cheer Lux up about not having one. It was a shame positions weren't reversed, Cindy thought sadly. Lux really wanted one but didn't have one; Prompto had one and didn't want it.

While Lux was otherwise occupied, everyone else compared notes.

"So, you're saying this armor will make us flameproof," Gladio replied in amazement.

"Seems so," Noctis replied.

"And you got it from Amaterasu," Gladio replied blankly, evidently having no clue who or what she was.

"She was Ifrit's," then Luna broke off, uneasily. She didn't want to get too involved into what kind of captor Ifrit was, especially since Gladio's own sister had been in his clutches, and may be again.

"Ifrit's what," Gladio demanded.

"Er, never mind," Luna replied awkwardly.

"Ifrit has been treating prisoners the same way for thousands of years. Even treating other Gods that way," Noctis replied nonchalantly.

"Does that surprise anyone," Gladio replied. "Although, the fact that he has done it to other Gods does seem, different."

"All the more reason why he must be stopped," Cor added in, terminating the conversation.

The thud of thunder rattled the aircraft.

"Storms, now," Luna asked in disbelief.

"Well it ain't fireworks," Cid countered, just to break off cursing as a bolt of lightning streaked the dark sky right before them.

"A metal box, the tallest thing around, this isn't good," Holly replied.

"All we got below us is water. We gotta keep goin'," Cid countered.

"What the hell is that," Prompto called out in unease, just as Lux cried out in alarm.

That drew everyone's attention to the windshield. There, fluttering right in front of them, was a gigantic black bird. Its wings, veined with electrical current, spanned the width of the airship.

"That looks to be, a Zu," Cor commented.

"But, we've hunted those," Gladio countered. "I've never seen one that can wield lightning."

Cor shrugged. "If you have a better idea of what it is, I'm all ears," he snapped back. Gladio subsided with a slump to his shoulders.

The creature left them little doubt as to its intentions. With a strident screech, so loud that, even through the noise of the ship, Lux had to cover his ears, it unsheathed its talons and smacked the roof of the ship. Even though seatbelted in, the impact caused everyone to smash their heads against the wall.

Lux had been standing in the cockpit, and the impact knocked him to the floor. Aranea rose quickly to make sure he was ok, then guided him back to a seat and buckled him in. As she was concluding that action, the Zu struck again. It was her turn to go sprawling from the impact. However, instead of hitting the floor, she toppled straight into the row of seats.

She crashed into Ignis's lap. She struggled to disengage herself with the still shaking ship, just to have Ignis put a strong arm around her waist.

"Stay still," he ordered sharply, tantalizingly close to her ear. Not by design—it was just how she had landed against him. She realized suddenly that she was sitting in his lap with his arm around her waist. She could feel the pound of his heart against her back, beating in time with her racing one—even someone as calm as he was disturbed by the presence of the Zu. She refused to believe it had anything to do with her, just as her accelerated pulse had nothing to do with him. Or so she told herself.

Noctis rubbed his head and stared up at the roof of the ship. He could see an ominous talon-shaped dent from the repeat hits. "The roof can't take much more of this," he commented.

"Hold on," Cid ordered, then put the ship into a series of sharp swerves in an attempt to dislodge the creature roosting on their mode of transport.

Aranea gasped in fear that she would be twisted to the floor, but she underestimated Ignis's strength. He tightened his grip, holding her close and preventing her falling.

Talcott couldn't handle the bucking ship and retched in response to motion sickness.

"Sorry," he gasped out sheepishly once Cid had righted the ship.

"Here," Cindy, seated beside the ill teammate said gently, handing him her ball cap. "If you've gotta, er, upchuck, do it in this."

He glanced back at her in a mix of shame and gratitude. "I'll try not to, but, thank you," he whispered queasily.

"We still have our stowaway," Cor asked.

Noctis glanced up at the roof, just to hear a teeth-grating screech as talons scraped the roof like a giant can opener. "Guess so, damn it," he commented dryly.

"Another hit like that and the roof is gone," Luna cried out in alarm.

Holly was sizing up the situation. "Cid, is this ship pressurized," she asked sharply.

"Nope. We ain't high enough to need that," was Cid's brisk reply.

"Then, let it happen."

"What the hell do you mean," Gladio demanded.

"Let it smack a hole in the roof," Holly suggested. "That is the only way we, well I mean you guys, can attack it."

"Are you nuts," Gladio countered. "We get a hole in this thing and we're sitting ducks. You see the lightning on that thing? It will fry us!"

"The alternative is we open the hatch and attempt to climb out," Ignis replied calmly. "I think that would be even more dangerous. Miss Holly's point does have merit."

"I know," Gladio blustered, "but I may not be able to protect her, er, us."

Holly couldn't help glancing his way at his accidental slip. "You're not alone here, Gladio," she said gently. "It's not all on you. All of us are in this together, well, given the limitations of some of us non-fighters," she added shyly.

"You've done enough, Holly," Gladio growled out earnestly and tenderly.

Noctis was already unbuckling in preparation for battle. He was ready to go the instant the roof gave way. Lux gasped at the sudden influx of rain that sprayed in, before he just stared up at the ominous fluttering beast.

Noctis engaged, warping out of the hole onto what remained of the roof. His sword drawn, he was ready to take to the air to fight the thing on its turf.

"I can help in this," Talcott said weakly.

Gladio turned to him cynically. "What can _you_ do," he demanded.

"I, have some distance attacks that could be useful, if I could get a good line of sight."

Aranea remembered hunting with him. "Can you do 1000 Needles in your condition," she demanded.

"Yeah. I, should," Talcott replied hesitantly.

"Ok. Ignis, I don't need your seatbelt services right now," she stated to the man holding her. He complied quickly, giving her the room and the trust to make the next move. She grabbed Talcott and dragoon-leaped out of the roof hole. Prompto stood at the base of the hole, shooting upwards at the creature to give the front line cover-fire.

Ignis and Gladio stared at the hole ruefully. "For once, there is not much for us to do," Ignis commented regretfully. They merely stood side by side, providing a shield for Holly, Cindy, Luna, and Lux in case the creature tried reaching in to grab any of them.

Cor stood as Cid's shield as the old man continued piloting the ship with focused concentration.

Talcott swayed a little in dizziness as soon as he reached the roof. The powerful wind almost blew him over, and it was hard to see the edge of the ship in the driving rain. "Easy there," Aranea said sharply, keeping a firm grip on his waist with one arm. With her other arm, she had impaled her polearm into another portion of the roof to use as a grab bar to keep them steady. She tensed as another crack of thunder erupted around them, and braced herself for a lightning strike. To her relief, the bolt hit a safe(ish) distance away. Still, they couldn't be out here too long—they were a too tempting target for lightning and one would hit them eventually.

Noctis landed in front of her with a graceful crouch. "I've got a few hits in, but it's not doing much," he commented.

Lightning struck again. This time, it hit the Zu. What would have been a killing blow for anything else only empowered it. The energy sped through it, giving it a sizzling white glow. The Zu reared back, wings fully spread, sizzling with enough power to make Aranea's hair stand on end. She supposed Noctis was also affected, but with how spikey his hair was naturally, it was hard to tell at the best of times anyway.

The Zu was evidently going to use the energy against them. If it hit the metal ship, in the rain, they would all fry. The attack had to be interrupted now.

"I've got something. Stand back," Talcott ordered. He waved his hands and a thousand cactus needles erupted, impaling the stormy air between him and the Zu, speeding towards their mark. They hit it dead on, resulting in a blood-curdling screech and leaving it momentarily stunned. They had averted its most deadly attack, but it could try again.

"Aranea," Ignis demanded from below. "It's probably weak to fire. The last Zu we fought was anyway. Try these," he ordered, handing up some fire vials to her.

Magic wasn't Aranea's forte, but she would try it now. She grabbed the vials and tossed them like grenades with all her might towards the target. The beast screamed again, its entire body on fire. It began plummeting towards the roof of the ship, little more than a screaming flailing piece of burning debris now.

Talcott leaped back into the roof hole, just to be caught by Gladio and Ignis. Noctis stayed outside, staring at the creature with narrowed eyes. He leaped up, and with full strength struck the creature's neck with his glaive. He sliced clean through, the flaming head careening over the side and into the ocean a few thousand feet below. The momentum of the swing changed the trajectory of the Zu's fall. Instead of landing right on top of them, the body plummeted over the side to join the head in the ocean below.

Noctis stood stoically, barely winded, staring down at the flaming dismembered body with a fixed intensity, sword still drawn. In the rain, with the wind blowing his hair every which way, Aranea had to admit he looked pretty badass, and that for a victory pose, it was a damned good one. However, she wasn't about to let him strike such a pose.

"Was that really necessary? The flames had already taken care of it," she stated archly.

He simply shrugged. "It's better to make sure something is down for the count, right," he stated, then grabbed her and warped her back into the ship.

"I could have done that myself," she commented, flustered. "And, my pole is still up there!"

Noctis sighed at his bit of gallantry being ignored, then warped back out of the ship once again to retrieve her weapon. He handed it to her with a singular lack of flourish—just handing it over.

"Thank you," she stated calmly.

"Are you all ok," Luna demanded, running forward, healing light already prepared in case of need. They all looked around—amazingly enough, nobody was hurt. Ignis gave Aranea an intense once-over, missing nothing, looking for any evidence of injury. His sigh of relief said it all.

"Um, Lady Lunafreya, does your healing light work on nausea," Talcott asked, punctuating his question with a queasy belch.

Roofless, soaked, and nauseated, the nevertheless victorious party made their way to Altissia.


	52. Chapter 52: A Hint from an Ally

**Hi there! Real life has blocked my writing time a bit, but I've got a short(ish) chapter ready. I've got a long weekend so I hope to have plenty of time to relax and write. Without further ado, let's continue, shall we?**

* * *

There was nothing worse than being stuck in a rainstorm in the middle of the ocean. Well, except for having been scorned by the crystal and the Six and imprisoned by one's own brother, Ardyn supposed. He ruthlessly tamped down those memories. He didn't want to think about his brother, Aiden-oh wait, "Somnus", Ardyn thought derisively. Leave it to his brother to assume a new name in addition his title as the Founder King, thinking "King Aiden Lucis Caleum" didn't have a "powerful enough" ring to it. Well, at least his brother's "Kingly" name was different enough from Ardyn's. And Ardyn had also assumed a new name, well surname, after taking his title as "The Accursed".

Ardyn's nose twitched as the fat drops of rain travelled over the brim of his fedora to tickle his nose. He hunched over the wheel of the boat, relying on his cloaks to keep him dry the best he could. They wouldn't do much, but he could at least pretend.

He glanced down at Iris. At least she was immune from the rain at the moment. She was also immune to the lightning that was striking in the distance. Lightning couldn't do anything to stone. However, if they ended up in a shipwreck as a result, and she ended up at the bottom of the sea, that was a different problem. He would handle that if he had to. For now, he just had to make his way to Niflheim and hope that as he approached Ifrit's domain that the air would clear up.

Ardyn's hands clenched on the wheel of the boat. He tended to have a knack for being able to suffer fools—as well as for keeping his true opinions of idiots to himself, under a veil of oily condescension. Even when he hated a person's guts. Ifrit was testing his limits though. How dare he bring up his brother, and dredge up things long past?

Ifrit's single-minded fixation on Iris was, confusing as well. Why did he want her? Ardyn scanned the stone statue at his feet once more, sizing her up to gauge what could attract a God. He saw nothing. She was just, a normal young woman, albeit one who was turned to stone at the moment. He searched his memories of what intelligence he had gained of her during his "reign" of Insomnia during the darkness. He had heard she was a, "strong hunter", but he had yet to see her in action in a fight. Despite what he had heard about her fighting prowess, there was no way she could hold her own in a fight against a God.

Her novelty had to be in the fact that she had successfully escaped Ifrit. Someone like him, who hated humans so much, and saw himself as so superior, would have found it galling that a petty human could run from him and get away with it. He undoubtedly wanted her to pay for that with everything she had. If Ardyn were a more caring man, he would feel pity for Miss Iris Amiticia. He felt no pity—just, annoyance in her that she was foolish enough to cross a God, and annoyance at Ifrit for wasting his time on such a non-entity.

Ardyn had to keep his eye on the prize. Ifrit would grant him his immortality back—at this point, Ardyn didn't think Ifrit would go back on his word. However, he couldn't fathom Ifrit's reasons for doing it. And Ardyn didn't like when he couldn't discern the motives of others. What was Ifrit getting out of Ardyn being immortal again? Ardyn didn't know, but he'd be a fool to pass it up, especially if he just had to give up Iris in return.

How ironic, Ardyn thought dryly. He had been, relieved, when Noct had released him from his immortal coil. He had finally been granted his freedom and peace, just to end up in an eternal moldy prison at the end. He was imprisoned everywhere he went, in life, forced into immortality, and given no choice but to watch empires come and go; in death, stuffed in a prison cell. Well, if he had to pick his prison, he'd rather be immortal again. At least, he had a whole world as his playground, and not one tiny stone cell.

And all he had to do was play ball with Ifrit…a being who could not be trusted and had immeasurable power. He was tasting some of that power now. The incessant rain stopped as though hitting a switch. The air warmed up, instantly becoming so dry that his eyes burned. He could see the barren rocky cliffs of Niflheim on the horizon. He was in Ifrit's domain now. And he would have to bow and scrape to his new Emperor, at least for now.

* * *

"No clue where to land this thingy," Cid grumbled to his passengers. What he was seeing out the window of the airship was not prepossessing. Altissia was, cramped. There was no other word for it. The pastel stucco buildings were placed right on top of each other, with only narrow pedestrian alleys to get around them. The wider spaces were taken up by canals.

"No courtyards," Ignis asked. He had had quite the run of the city when hurrying to rescue Noct ten years ago. He remembered having had to cross a bunch.

"How about I land in that market square," Cid countered sarcastically. "There's only a hundred or so people down there to crush."

"Woah! You're not serious, right," copilot Prompto ventured.

Cid merely snorted in disgust at Prompto's idiocy.

"Claustra's palazzo has one, I think," Luna ventured, shivering in Noctis's coat. He had given it to her to help keep her warm amid the invading rain, but it had not helped much.

Aranea rose and scanned the panorama below. "That should be the palazzo there," she pointed. "The rear courtyard looks big enough, wouldn't you say?"

"Looks it," Cid conceded. "But how do you think Her Royal Bitch would feel if we just plopped down in her backyard?"

"Woah," Prompto interjected at Cid's comment.

"Well, that's what she is. I calls' em likes I sees' em," was Cid's response.

"In order to keep the peace, I think we need to cut back on stuff like that. Can you handle that, Cid," Noctis asked pleasantly, but with an edge to it that implied Cid had better be able to.

"Shore, I can," Cid replied promptly. "Welp, here goes. Here's hopin' they don't shoot us on sight."

Cid lowered the cumbersome ship to the grassy space, interspersed with cobblestone paths, grottoes, and benches. It was much harder to land now than it had been near Cape Caem. The absence of a roof on the craft caused too much wind buffeting, and made it much more difficult to control the direction and descent.

Still, Cindy had had to inherit her vehicle wizardry from somewhere. Cid maneuvered the craft with an expertise that stunned the whole ship, not to mention the guards below. Rather than shoot at them, the guards just stared up, open-mouthed as the black craft lumbered to a shuddering stop in the middle of the green.

Luna, Noctis, and Cor were ready at the hatch to greet the guards and announce this as an official visit.

"Her Eminence figured it was you," was the lead guard's greeting. "Come this way, please," he ordered to the entire team.

"Er, I'm not really dressed for the upper crust," Cid conceded. "I'll stay here if ya don't mind."

The guard sized the old man up, taking in his tattered loungewear. Then he glanced to Cindy, noting her short shorts and unzipped jacket. His extended glance down her low-cut top caused Prompto to step between them. "Is there a problem," he asked the guard, affably enough, but with a protective edge that made everyone look at Prompto more closely.

"Er, nothing," the guard replied, flustered. "However, I don't think she is properly, attired, to see Her Eminence as well."

"No arguments here," Cindy replied. "Ma friend Holly and I will cool our heels right here with Cid."

"I, think that would be wise," the guard replied. "Come with me, the rest of you."

Prompto, Ignis, Gladio, Noctis, Luna, Cor, Lux, and Aranea followed the guard down the ornate baroque hallways to be led into Claustra's office.

"I was wondering when you would get here," was her cool greeting.

"You, knew we were coming," Prompto blustered out in surprise.

She merely rose a gray eyebrow. "Seeing as the Oracle's brother arrived in town, I figured you would be close behind."

"You have seen Ravus," Luna spoke up. "Is he ok?"

"Ask him yourself," Claustra countered, peering over their shoulders.

They all turned as one to see Ravus striding through the doorway. "Ravus," Luna exclaimed, running up to give him a hug. Then she drew back a bit, taking in his new clothes. "What are you wearing?"

He simply sniffed. "As to that, I could ask you the same question."

Luna ruefully looked down to her tee shirt and sweatpants combo, now covered with Noctis's jacket. "You're right. I, just, haven't seen you, dressed down before. I mean, not since we were kids."

"Get me replacement armor, and I will wear it," Ravus countered, terminating the conversation.

"Thank you for ordering about my servants and guards, by the way," Claustra chided him in the way of greeting. "However, I suppose in the wake of Iris and Izunia's abrupt departure, somebody had to. You are to be commended for your quick action."

Ravus rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. "I, did not mean to overstep. I, merely thought a rapid investigation was in order, and your retinue happened to be there."

Claustra waved his apology away. "No need, it was necessary."

"So, they were here," Gladio demanded. "How was Iris? Was she, ok? How long ago did you see them?"

"Iris was fine when I saw her. She didn't like Ardyn, but then, who does? But she seemed to be, tolerating him. Since we only know they left sometime during the night, I cannot say how far behind them you are. However, the last confirmed sighting of them was about 20 hours ago."

Gladio growled in frustration. "So, they could be anywhere by now," he replied despondently.

"Based on what you said, she is not with him against her will," Ignis spoke up.

Claustra pondered a moment. "I would say she was neither willing nor unwilling to be in his presence. She didn't want to be with him, but knew that in order to lead Ifrit here to Leviathan, she needed to be here."

"So, she set herself up as bait," Luna asked sharply.

"Yes. However, she soon saw the 'shortsightedness' of that plan."

"What do you mean," Noctis asked warily.

"Surely you've noticed that ever since Leviathan battled Ifrit in Insomnia, the presence of sea monsters has increased. It is because of Leviathan's 'weakened' state, that the creatures are rising up to plague the oceans. Do you really think she can keep them at bay and deal with Ifrit at the same time?"

"You, may have a point," Prompto replied. "I mean, we saw the Vesperpool recently. It looked pretty bad."

"She does have a point. Leviathan confided that much to me as well," Ravus replied.

Everyone, even Claustra, turned to look at him. "The fact that she was willing to speak to a non-Oracle indicates that there is something serious afoot," Claustra ventured.

Ravus proceeded to tell everyone what Leviathan had told him.

"So, Ramuh has been killed too," Cor replied sharply.

"I think that explains the presence of the Zu that we saw," Noctis replied, body tense.

"It, was an air monster," Lux spoke up for the first time.

"That is, a valid title for it, yes," Ignis replied pensively.

Gladio smashed his fist on his palm. "Why the hell would Ardyn carry Iris off at a time like this? Where the hell would they be going?"

"That son of a bitch is taking her to Ifrit," Aranea replied, just as angrily. "I bet he thinks he will be saved from the carnage if he sucks up to that bastard. He's willing to sacrifice Iris for his own gain!" She seemed ready to begin another curse-filled tirade against Ardyn, except in front of a foreign dignitary this time. Ignis merely put his arm around Aranea to soothe her. It worked, and she briefly leaned her head into his shoulder to calm herself.

"We are agreed that he is taking her to him," Ravus bit out. "Except, where is that?"

"I, do not know," Claustra conceded. "However, our guards did find this letter addressed to the 'Chosen King of Lucis' in Izunia's room."

"What," Ravus demanded. "When did they find this? Why didn't you give it over?"

"They found it while you were searching Iris's room. And by the time I received it, you were already rushing to the harbor. I deemed it prudent to hold it for its chosen recipient," Claustra replied smoothly.

"Indeed, while I was being extorted by one of your 'esteemed' gondoliers! You didn't give it over to me since I'm not the Chosen King," Ravus countered bitterly.

"Believe what you will. I cannot persuade you one way or the other," Claustra replied, handing the envelope to Noctis.

He scanned the letter, and his jaw clenched.

 _Dear, His Royal Highness, King Noctis Lucis Caleum, known as Noct to his friends,_

 _There was once a fiend named Ifrit_

 _Whose dreams of vengeance were never complete_

 _He traveled to the west_

 _Thinking he was the best_

 _With Miss Iris at his side, he will be replete._

 _'Warm' Regards, His (Former) Royal Highness, Ardyn Lucis Caleum, known as Ardyn Izunia to his enemies_

 _P.S. Noct, seriously, get thee to Cartanica, unless you want something dire to befall Iris._

"That cheeky bastard," Ravus spat out after Noctis read out the letter to everyone.

Prompto gaped, then glanced worriedly back at Claustra. She appeared impassive.

"Why would he tell us where he's going," Aranea spoke up. "It has to be a trap."

"Could he, be on our side," Lux spoke up, tentatively.

Aranea opened her mouth to contradict him in no uncertain terms.

"You could be correct, Lux," Ignis cut in, but then gave a glance to Aranea to indicate he did not disagree with her. "However, his motives are, cloudy to say the least. It is difficult to ascertain at this point whether he is assisting us or trapping us."

"He's notorious for doing stuff like this," Noctis commented.

"But it's not like we are going to leave Iris with him," Cor interjected, getting everyone back on point.

"Damn straight," Gladio replied. "I will go alone if I have to."

"No, you won't," Cor countered. "I am going with you even if nobody else does."

"What kind of idiots do you think we are, Gladio," Noctis added. "You bet your ass we're all going."

"But, will our airship get us there," Prompto asked in concern.

As if on cue, there was a knock at the door, and one of the guards came in nervously. "Um, apologies Your Eminence. However, the, guests in the courtyard have asked if they may borrow a welding torch and, have asked for some scrap metal from old ships. What should I do, madam?"

Claustra smirked, then strode to the window. The others followed suit to see Cindy on the roof of the airship in the courtyard below, measuring the width of the roof hole with her arms. It was evident they wanted to do something about the airship's roof.

"Give them whatever they ask for," Claustra ordered. "And also make sure food and drink are offered, as well as a restroom."

Then she looked to her other guests. "While your companions perform their repairs, would you care to dine with me? Hopefully you will have a working ship by the time you are done eating."

"Er, thanks," Noctis replied. "However, a quick sandwich will do fine for us."

"Nonsense," Claustra replied brightly. "Royals and their companions deserve better than that! Besides, no proper Altissian meal is served without six courses."

"Woah! No way we can eat that mu-," Lux began, just to be forestalled by Luna's interjection.

"It would be an honor, Your Eminence," she replied smoothly. "However, even if we are mid-meal, if the ship is fixed, we will have to depart."

Claustra nodded. "Of course. Please come this way."

* * *

 **There! I have addressed the Aiden/Somnus issue to the best of my ability ;-) Retconning at its finest, but the story is at least cannon compliant in that regard again. Thanks to everyone who pointed that out previously. Also thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed. Till next time and happy Labor Day to my fellow Americans.**


	53. Chapter 53: Parental Guidance

**Happy September all! I was able to sit down and write quite a bit last weekend-long weekends are great. I wish I had another one soon. Oh well...anyway next chapter coming your way. It's kind of short, but I have more in the polishing stage so I can keep this going. Thanks for reading as always and hope you enjoy.**

* * *

The barren coast of Niflheim was a mariner's nightmare. It taunted the ocean-weary with land, promised them fresh water and food, just to give them none. The coastline was a series of barren cliffs with the only shore being a narrow strip of beach composed of desert sands that had eroded down the cliffs. Passages up the cliff were few and far between, and led up to nothing but rocky desert.

Many a sailor in times past had washed up on the shore, thinking to be saved from the ocean's ravages, just to succumb to hunger and thirst in the barren wasteland they thought was their rescue. The only way through it was to get through it as quickly as possible—which is why the Empire had built a railroad across it, and had relied on airships instead of sea travel.

Its only claim to fame was its mines. And with the Empire no longer around to keep up the transportation infrastructure, only a handful of humans remained. Humans so obsessed with obtaining wealth that they were willing to live like moles in the underground caverns, spending their days prospecting and living off of the meager underground trickles of water they could find, and feeding upon their fellow cave-dwelling creatures.

Now that this was his domain, he would have to do something about them, Ifrit thought, striding though one of the mining tunnels. The weather in the tunnel was mild—much cooler than outside. And to him it felt like it was freezing cold. Not to Agneya though. She was smiling in his arms, cooing in delight at the nice moderate temperature, cool enough for her mother's powers, warm enough for her daddy's.

The darkness had been affecting Ifrit strangely lately. Even the desert nights which never used to bother him, seemed colder. And the transitions from darkness to light were, jarring. The temperature differentials made him sizzle in the heat, and his eyes had trouble adjusting to the light. He wouldn't have put it past Shiva to have cursed him—it of course _had_ to be a coincidence that it had begun happening after she died.

Ifrit found one of the water sources the humans used. It was a small aquifer with a "pond" of fresh water available for use. Based on the crates and scraps hanging around, it seemed to be a popular spot in this tunnel. Ifrit sneered at the nest of human dregs. These petty greedy fools were the true bottom of the barrel as far as he was concerned. Humans were bad enough—feral prospectors were even worse.

Agneya was surveying the scene curiously, brow furrowed, as though everything she was seeing was something she should be learning and absorbing. Ifrit glanced down to his daughter, then plopped down on the shore of the pond with the infant in his lap.

"Let me tell you a story, little one," he began. "Once upon a time, your mother and I, and a few of our companions, built this planet. It was a paradise that we wanted to share with others. So, in our infinite wisdom, we bequeathed our paradise to living creatures. Of these, humans and daemons reigned supreme. Humans dominated the day, and daemons the night."

Agneya kept her gaze fixed upon him, seemingly absorbing his story.

"Daemons knew their place. They stayed in the dark places of the world, never venturing out into the light. Had humans not developed airs above their station, they could have lived in harmony forever with the daemons. But it wasn't to be. Humans developed artificial light, allowing them to infest the night. They eradicated the daemons—creatures who just wanted to defend themselves. Do you think that's fair, little one," he asked her, rhetorically.

Of course she couldn't reply, and likely comprehended little, but he had to start teaching her sometime.

"These humans got away with killing all daemons," Ifrit continued. "And now they live on, unchecked, unchallenged."

To demonstrate his point, he picked up one of the dry-rotted bags at his feet. It ripped open, causing gray rocks to fall to the ground. "Do you see these," he asked her. "These are nothing but useless pieces of rock—things that your Uncle Titan could make with a snap of his fingers. Humans spend their lives, living as the daemons did, in darkness and deprivation, in the hopes of finding fancier versions of these rocks."

Agneya reached out a tiny hand to touch one of the rocks, staring at it with fixed attention.

"I am the only one who can stop them," Ifrit stated with cold purpose. He rose his hands, and with one flame blast, he evaporated the pond, leaving nothing but a tiny puddle in its wake.

"See, my child? This is what we must do. You too have the power to do this. Please, help your dada with this," he asked gently, raising one of her little hands towards the puddle and infusing her hand with a tiny amount of heat.

Agneya's hand flexed, releasing that heat at the puddle. It finished the job, leaving this portion of the cave barren and inhospitable to humans.

"Good job, little one," Ifrit praised, patting her head. "Now the next time humans come here, they will suffer the same fate they have inflicted upon others."

What he said didn't seem to register to Agneya. However, she glanced back at her hand, then the puddle and flexed again. A tiny puff of flame, her own this time, puttered forth. She stared at the flame puff with delight.

Ifrit smiled tenderly at his daughter. All of his failsafes were in place. Between Ardyn and his new protégé, humankind was doomed.

* * *

How did Aranea keep ending up at diplomatic dinners, she wondered as she did her best to daintily spoon seafood soup into her mouth. Unfortunately she tended to slurp no matter how hard she tried. She surreptitiously eyed Claustra to see if she was being judged as an uncouth heathen. Luckily for her, Claustra was more focused on Noctis and Luna.

"So," Claustra asked them. "Now that you have been given a new lease on life, so to speak, are you still planning on getting married?"

Luna's spoon trembled in her hand a moment. "I, we have not discussed it as yet. Given all that has happened since we returned, getting married is not really a priority at the moment. Perhaps once this is all over…"

"True. However, if you wait too long…the Cathedral here in town is at your disposal should you like to proceed with a, er, hasty wedding."

"Why do you think they require a hasty wedding," Gladio demanded brusquely.

Claustra had the grace to look flustered. Ignis knew what she meant, and his heart dropped to his shoes. She figured they were going off to their deaths, so might as well get married beforehand. Just like how soldiers going off to war married their sweethearts first. He glanced to Aranea. Should he do just that, and marry her? Did the offer of the Cathedral extend to them as well?

Noctis glanced back at Claustra with cool confidence, just this side of arrogance. "The way I see it, given what we feel for each other and what happened on the Other Side, we are already married. Even if it is not 'official' here. To formalize such a thing now while one of my friends is in danger is unacceptable. When we defeat Ifrit, we will marry officially with _all_ my friends present."

Then he glanced hesitantly as his "wife" to make sure she was not offended. Luna beamed at him. "Well said," she exclaimed. "It would be unthinkable to wed without Iris and while the world is, the way it is. Once the world is at peace again, we will consider a wedding venue here."

Ignis inwardly sighed in relief. They had a point. To marry in this type of environment, with looming threats, was impossible. He did not want Aranea's wedding day tarnished with fear and grief. And that assumed she'd be willing to marry him anyway. He'd have to ask her—once this was all over. And Noctis and Luna's words gave him cautious hope that it would be all over, and they would have a future.

"I must commend your wisdom," Claustra replied, seemingly genuinely. "I, am aware there is not much I can offer you in this fight. I had thought of offering whatever meager resources from my kingdom that I could offer to boost morale, or, whatever. I meant no offense," she broke off awkwardly.

Noctis shrugged. "Sometimes information and creature comforts are just as useful as legions of armies," he commented affably.

Claustra gave a relieved smile, then turned to her other guests—happening to catch Lux's eye. She did a double-take and stared at his face in shock.

Lux stopped, a handful of bread halfway to his mouth. "Um, is there a problem, er, ma'am," he asked, flustered.

"So, it is true," she muttered. "I, had thought I misheard."

Aranea looked at Claustra sharply, echoing Lux's confused stare.

"You have Ardyn Izunia's nose," Claustra finally blurted out.

Everyone turned to give that feature a closer look. Lux glanced around nervously, uncomfortable at the sudden attention.

"I can't say I ever studied him that closely to be able to be able to tell that," Gladio replied.

"I have," Noctis stated. "Being caught in a close quarters swordfight to the death with him gives you plenty of time to study his ugly mug. And Claustra is right."

"For all his faults, one can't really accuse him of being ugly," Luna quietly commented.

"How can you say that about the man who stabbed you in cold blood," Ravus replied, shocked.

Luna shrugged. "I dislike him, but I need to be fair and honest where I can be."

"Hmph. Goody two shoes," Ravus snarked back, every inch her brother.

"She, does have a point, although I hate to admit it," Aranea replied grudgingly. "I hate his motherfu—er guts, but physical appearance is not one of his flaws. Even if everything else is," she added bitingly.

"Never thought I'd hear you say that, Aranea," Cor replied. "I hope we're not getting into a hatred masking attraction kind of thing here," he added archly.

Aranea's head slew towards him in amazement. "How could you even think something like that—especially when the man I love is right here," she snapped back with a sharp gesture to Ignis. Then she broke off, flustered at what she had just blurted to the table, in front of a foreign dignitary no less. Her face went red. "Er, what I mean is…"

"About time you admitted it," Gladio snarked. "I mean, I wondered when you two would ever figure it out."

"Don't be embarrassed," Luna replied. "We already knew it anyway. Just as, I'm sure everyone knows how much I love Noctis," she replied with a shy but tender smile to her beloved seated beside her. He reached over and put his arm around her.

Aranea looked away, and happened to meet Ignis's gaze. He had his answer about whether or not she wanted to marry him. The look in his eyes was a revelation. He smiled, took her hand, and raised it to his lips for a kiss. If the room weren't full of people, she imagined he would do far more.

"Quite sure I can't interest you in my Cathedral," Claustra asked dryly, but with a smile to the two couples.

The two couples shook their heads regretfully.

Lux was giving his nose a cross-eyed stare, trying to see what Claustra had been talking about regarding his inherited features. Before anyone could reassure or reprimand him, there was a crash at the dining room doors as a grizzled old man crashed through them, followed by a couple of flustered guards.

"Hey, Prompto," Cid hollered out from the doorway. "I need your barcode a minute to test the engine. We had to turn the engine off in our repairs and we need your arm to start 'er back up."

Then he glanced at the table, surveying the gourmet bounty of food. "Pissh," he scoffed. "Looks like the kind of stuff you eat then are hungry an hour later. Gimme a burger anytime." As he said it though, he reached a gnarled hand out to a loaf of bread nearest him, ripped off a hunk, and smashed it into his mouth.

The diners just stared at him, open-mouthed. Lux snickered.

"Uh. I've got this, Cid. Let's go," Prompto said awkwardly, then all but dragged Cid out of the room.

The guards stayed back, glancing at Claustra guiltily before she dismissed them.

"My, apologies," Ignis said in a desperate attempt to diffuse any insult Claustra may be feeling.

"He's quite a character," Claustra replied, dryly.

"Yeah! And this was toned down by his standards," Gladio replied. "Outside he was calling you a—"

"Ok," Noctis burst in brightly. "Since they are ready for Prompto, it seems like the airship is basically ready to go. Apologies for dining and dashing, Your Eminence, but duty calls." So saying, he lurched up, all but forcing the rest of the team to follow suit. They were just as eager to get out of there before Gladio made things worse and high tailed it out, with the briefest of farewells.

After they left, Claustra tossed off the last of her glass of wine, then rose and stiffly walked to the sitting room next door. Her joints were hurting something fierce (as tended to happen as one got old) and all of this stress wasn't helping. At times like this only the overstuffed sofa that room boasted could make her feel better.

She plopped down, facing the fireplace and the portrait that hung above. "I can guess what they say about me, Darius," she commented to the portrait of her predecessor, Darius Accordo. "I am not you, and never could be, although I have tried. I wonder what you would have thought of all that has happened, of all of this," she swept her arm around to encompass everything around her. "I, wish you were here now. You would have known what to do, how to help them. I, am out of ideas."

She leaned back against the cushions and sighed. All of her hopes were with the Chosen King and the Oracle.


	54. Chapter 54: Enemy from the Shadows

**Greetings all! I may have to work this weekend, so I am posting my next chapter a little earlier than usual in case I don't have time later. Here goes and thanks to everyone for reading.**

* * *

Ifrit lounged on his throne in his new kingdom—if one could count a large boulder at the end of a red rock canyon a throne. Comfort meant nothing to him. He was a God, at one with the shimmering heat, at least after the darkness/dawn adjustment—he could be sitting on a rock spire for all he cared. Although he supposed Agneya may not like that. She was presently napping in her stone cradle on the boulder beside him.

Even though it was open to the elements, his lair did have a throne room feel to it. The long narrow canyon meandered towards his boulder, just like how a long red-carpeted hallway of a castle led to a throne. The canyon opened up around his boulder, just as a throne room would. And even better, the canyon dead ended behind him. There would be no way he could be attacked from behind unless someone was willing to plummet 500 feet to get to him. His enemies weren't known for their ability to fall and survive.

He was getting bored, and impatient. Izunia was dragging his feet getting Iris to him. It was almost as though he didn't want his immortality back. Ifrit expected betrayal, but not before Izunia had gotten his share of the spoils. And what was Ifrit to do with his share of the spoils? He couldn't exactly collect what Iris owed him with a baby nearby. While it would show Agneya full well the worth of humans and what she should do to them when it was her turn, it was not a lesson she would understand yet.

Agneya was small—there were plenty of other places she could rest where she would be sheltered from what Ifrit had in mind for Iris. He stiffened as he saw movement in the swirling sand towards the end of the canyon. A shape was approaching. A human-sized shape.

Iris stepped forward, hesitantly. She kept turning around, looking out for threats. She was wary, as though expecting a trap. Seeing as Ardyn had evidently brought her here, she was not too far off. Ifrit smirked triumphantly. Ardyn had fulfilled his side of the bargain. Yet, where was he? He wasn't the type to just give her over without assurances that he would get his fair share first.

Iris glanced down the canyon, saw Ifrit, and her face went pale. She turned and ran through the heat, desperate to flee the canyon. Ifrit wasn't about to let her escape and began marching down the canyon towards her. He didn't have to run—she would not survive long in this wasteland without his, "protection". She was out of sight by now, but not for long…

"Ah, the esteemed Infernian," Ardyn oozed, stepping into Ifrit's path midway down the canyon. "As you evidently saw, I have delivered Iris to you, alive."

Ifrit glanced around the shadowy rocks, attempting to see where she had run off to.

Ardyn saw him glance about, and made a great show of looking around himself. "Now, where did Miss Iris go, I wonder? You did not, frighten her, did you," Ardyn asked, all innocence.

"Frightening her is the least of what I have in store for her," Ifrit replied with feral intent.

"Oh, so you mean to hurt her," Ardyn asked with over the top shock. "You shouldn't have told me that. It's always better to keep the courier in blissful ignorance as to the fate of their captive. Now I may have second thoughts about the enterprise," he concluded mockingly.

Ifrit rolled his eyes, annoyed with Ardyn. With a brusque gesture, he flung his arm out, and Ardyn felt warmth spiraling through him. It wasn't an attack—the heat felt, pleasant, as though getting a hot stone massage. Ardyn felt the familiarity of immortality streak back into him. It was am indefinable feeling, and one that could only be experienced, and remembered when lost. That feeling was back. Ifrit had done as promised.

"I have given you back your immortality," Ifrit replied, as though bestowing upon him a blessing from the Gods. Ardyn knew it to be a curse instead, but merely smirked back.

"You have my thanks," Ardyn replied dryly. "Now, tell me what you really want in return for this? I refuse to believe it is really Miss Iris. As lovely as she is, she is not worth all of this for."

"All I want is Iris! She has defied me! She owes me!"

"I have defied you as well, yet you have seen fit to grant me immortality instead. Interesting power by the way. I always thought it was the crystal that granted that power."

"It is," Ifrit replied. "Now get out of my way!"

Now this was interesting, Ardyn thought. Ifrit was able to use the crystal's powers? This raised further questions, and ones he needed to get answers for before playing his hand.

"You'll have a hard time finding Miss Iris on your own you know," Ardyn replied calmly. "She is frightened to death of you as you saw. She will not make it easy to find her."

"Then I find her desiccated body," Ifrit snarled back.

"You are correct, unless you want her alive. I thought that was the whole point, but then again what does a Man of No Consequence such as myself know," Ardyn commented.

Ifrit stiffened. Ardyn had a point. She would be useless to him already dead. And in this climate, humans could not last long.

Ardyn saw he had him there. "In deference to your keeping faith with me, I can help you find Iris. I was able to, er, sweet talk her into coming here, so I will be able to entice her out of hiding as well."

"You will get no further boons from me," Ifrit replied. "As far as I'm concerned what I just gave you is more than you deserve."

"I thought it was the crystal that gave it," Ardyn murmured.

"Through me," Ifrit snapped back. "And I can take it away if you piss me off, so keep your mouth shut!"

This gave Ardyn pause. He was forgetting that there was a God in the mix here. While he had been unable to reverse the crystal's curse of immortality, a God perhaps could. He had to be careful, or else he would lose his powers. And that would be, very vexing indeed.

Ardyn smirked. "I was not asking for anything else," he replied placatingly. "I am in fact eager to get Iris off my hands. She is more trouble than she is worth as far as I'm concerned. For your sake I hope you don't keep her alive for too long. She is a liability after awhile."

"Don't tell me how to treat my prisoners, Izunia," Ifrit snarled. "If you are serious about helping me then get to work."

"Forgive me for speaking out of turn," Ardyn oozed back. "I merely thought that as a prisoner of the Draconian myself, I had some expertise on the matter. However, I am sure you know what you are doing." The sarcasm was so expertly placed that it took Ifrit a bit to catch it. By that time Ardyn had already moved on ahead searching behind rocks and calling out periodically for Iris.

Ifrit had no such finesse. He merely went to every boulder he could find and smashed it with his fist. If Iris had been hidden behind any of them, the impact probably would kill her, but Ardyn had already warned Ifrit of that. If Ifrit refused to listen, that was on him.

The blowing sand had been to his advantage, Ardyn thought, smugly. Ifrit had never figured out that the "Iris" he saw had actually been Ardyn in disguise. Ifrit had been able to penetrate Ardyn's disguise in Altissia, but he had evidently been unable to tell for sure through the sand here. Perhaps if it had been Titan he had been trying to fool it would not have worked, Ardyn thought clinically. However, earth and sand was not one of Ifrit's powers. He had fallen for it as any human would. If he was that fallible, perhaps Ardyn could outwit him after all.

Ardyn needed to stall a bit longer. He wondered if Noct had even received his little love note yet. He'd have to play the game with Ifrit a little more, and maybe pry more information out of Ifrit in the bargain.

"I do not wish to look a gift horse in the mouth of course. However, I must ask why you are willing to grant me such a good turn. I know you and I have never seen eye to eye, so to speak," Ardyn commented politely. "I am pleased, but surprised that you would grant me your favor now."

"Spare me your sycophancy," Ifrit cut back. "I gave you your powers back because it was in my interest to do so."

"Oh, so you must like me then," Ardyn replied brightly. "I will take that as a compliment."

"I don't like you, you Accursed Bastard," Ifrit returned angrily. "You are much more useful to me immortal than dead. If you weren't I would have incinerated you long ago!"

Nobody who called Ardyn "The Accursed" ever got away with it. Not even Ifrit would, Ardyn promised himself, swallowing his fury for the moment. Just a little longer…

But why would he want Ardyn immortal? All Ardyn had done with it last time was nearly…ah ha! Ardyn now had the answer as to why Ifrit had given his immortality back to him. Ifrit still held out hope that Ardyn would destroy humanity, and had given him back the means to do so. Ardyn had just been given another trump card. Now he just had to figure out how to play it.

"Ah. Mutual benefit then? That makes more sense," was Ardyn's only reply.

Ifrit merely grunted, kicked over another rock that could be hiding Iris, and stepped into the shadows to see if he could see her.

Ardyn stared at Ifrit, for once in his life, stunned. As Ifrit moved into the shadows, he could see black swirling mists beginning to form around him. His eyes glowed with a sinister gleam that was all too familiar.

"When did you say you gained your powers from the crystal," Ardyn asked conversationally.

"Shortly after you made me kill Shiva," Ifrit snarled, then returned to the light, looking like his normal self.

Even with the return to his normal form, Ardyn now knew the truth. The crystal was the real enemy here, Ardyn thought bitterly. It kept giving out its powers and leaving destruction in its wake. It had destroyed his life already, started wars, and was set to destroy them all. It had even seen fit to turn Ifrit into a daemon in the bargain to ensure it. The crystal is what really needed to be dealt with. As Ardyn had said long ago. How gratifying to know one was right.

And the absurd part was that Ifrit didn't even seem to know about his slow but sure daemonification. He was still banking on Ardyn destroying humanity for him—giving him back his immortality attested to that. Ifrit wasn't fully a daemon yet, but if he ever became one, and figured out what his new dark powers could do, they were all doomed.

Ardyn wouldn't let Ifrit get to that point. Ardyn knew more about the workings of the crystal, and of daemons, than Ifrit ever did. Being the embodiment of the Starscourge did have its advantages after all. Now that Ifrit was a daemon, Ardyn's victory was almost assured.

The question was, how should he finish him off? Should he make it quick and have him dealt with before Noct and his friends even got here? Noct really was dragging his feet, and Ardyn would give almost anything to see the look on Noct's face when he arrived and saw Ifrit lying crumpled at Ardyn's feet.

But then, that would be boring, and there would be nobody to appreciate the victory, save himself. Ifrit didn't deserve a quick demise after all. Ardyn hadn't been called the Bringer of Darkness for nothing. Ifrit had made him become that. Immortality was but a fraction of what Ifrit owed him for 2000 years of hell. Ardyn would make him pay in full.

Ardyn deserved a little fun after all of this. Now that he was immortal, and Ifrit was on the way to daemonhood, the playing field was leveled a bit. Ardyn would make Ifrit his plaything and enjoy every minute of it. It was time to play his hand, and give Ifrit what he wanted.

"I daresay Miss Iris must have fled back towards the boat by now," Ardyn ventured coolly. "We should find her quickly before she commandeers it."

He led the way back to the boat, eagerly awaiting Ifrit's reaction when he saw the "real" Iris.

* * *

Leviathan hated coming to Bahamut's domain. Since it was the "afterlife", she had only ever come to it immediately after pain and death. To come here now, alive, of her own accord, felt strange. But then, these were strange times. She kept her eyes forward, studiously avoiding the souls floating past her on their one-way trip to this realm. She and her fellow Astrals were the only ones who could make the trip back. Except for Noctis and his allies thanks to Bahamut's efforts.

She could see why Bahamut had done it. Even though she tried to avoid it, she could see the incessant movement of souls out of the corner of her eye. That had happened far too often of late—first ten years ago when Insomnia had been sacked, and again when Gralea had become overrun with daemons. She supposed now was still the result of the destruction of Galdin Quay—with the sudden influx of so many souls, Bahamut and his attendants were having trouble handling them all. It was their job to guide them to their next plane of existence—endless paradise for the good souls, endless torment for the truly evil, or a path of redemption for bad souls who had the potential to improve.

She kept her eyes forward as she slithered down the tunnel of light to reach Bahamut's throne. He didn't appear surprised to see her—but then again he knew everyone who transitioned to his realm. He obviously knew she was coming. His long-lashed eyes pierced through his helmet to stare at her impassively.

"It is rare to see you in your full form, Hydrean," he commented.

"You typically see me bloodied and sliced in half," she countered.

He shrugged—a stiff movement of his metal shoulder pads. "You have come about Ramuh have you not?"

"And Shiva too. Have you, seen them?"

"Yes. You know what happens if we are slain by one of our own. Their souls travel too fast for us to be able to catch. This is what happened to both Shiva and Ramuh. Shiva, landed in the Paradise Path. She is in a place of blessings and no further suffering."

"So Shiva will, never come back," Leviathan asked gravely.

Bahamut nodded. "However, there is, some hope for Ramuh. He fell into the path of redemption. When he finds his way out, he will end up back here and could potentially reincarnate."

"Well, he should be here now then. He has nothing to atone for," Leviathan stated.

"No. He has quite a bit to atone for, as do we all. We created the crystal."

"We had to. We needed a way to clean up mistakes."

"What we created was a monster," Bahamut commented flatly. "Even if Noctis succeeds in defeating Ifrit, the crystal still needs to be destroyed to ensure the planet endures."

"We, have fallen so far," Leviathan replied in shock. "There has to be another way."

"We could have weathered things with Agneya filling in the void left by her parents. There is nobody who can fill in the void left by Ramuh. The planet will suffer unceasing storms without him.

"I can, do something with the flooding," Leviathan replied in desperation.

"But what about the constant lightning," Bahamut countered.

Leviathan flinched.

"Ramuh cannot return until he has atoned for his mistakes. And the biggest mistake is creating the crystal. It must be destroyed before he can return."

"I can do it. Titan and I," Leviathan said eagerly.

"No. It is one of us. If you destroy it, it will travel here. What do you think happens if a destructive force like that ends up in the afterlife? It will destroy whatever afterlife it ends up in, and what happens to those souls? It will create imbalance in this world and end up not just destroying the planet, but the universe as well."

Leviathan ducked her head. "You can't ask Noctis to kill himself again. You know what happened last time!"

"Unfortunately we must weigh a handful of human lives against the fate of the universe. And if Noctis and his allies must fall to keep the universe going, then we must."

"You can just, revive him again, right," Leviathan asked. It seemed absurd that after eons, she still did not fully know Bahamut's abilities and how they worked. The mechanics of the Afterlife had been kept a mystery to her on purpose since, as he said, for her to fully know its workings would create a paradox each time she reincarnated here, and could destroy the universe. For those who could "die" the afterlife needed to stay a mystery.

"I risked a paradox bringing them all back the first time. I could only do so since I put them in a copy of the living world and did not send them onto any of the other realms. I cannot do it again," Bahamut replied regretfully. "I hate to ask this of you Leviathan, but the secrets of the crystal must be made known to Noctis and his allies in full, even if it shows us in a negative light. I cannot leave here to tell him myself. The burden of the truth, and what he must do, must fall to you."

Leviathan swallowed. Bahamut's word was law, and there was nothing she could do about it. "I, understand. For what it's worth, he already knows us for the fools we are. This should not surprise him."

Bahamut's lips twitched. "I think the same thing. Go in peace, Hydrean."

Leviathan returned to the world of the living, dreading the news she must impart to Noctis.


	55. Chapter 55: Fate of the Chosen

**Hey there! I didn't have to work last weekend (woohoo) but I do have to work this one (not so woohoo) :( Since I will be busy with real life tomorrow, I figured I would post today instead. This is a longish chapter since I don't have a good split point in the middle. Hope you don't mind, and hope you enjoy.**

* * *

At least the airship looked less sinister now with its replacement roof. Cid had been given the dregs of a lime-green cargo ship to make repairs with. A black flying box with a bright green roof looked more silly than threatening.

More importantly, the roof was fixed. The party could sit in relative comfort, and the ship could easily take off and land again. He was currently piloting the ship due west—nothing below them but the ocean.

Lux had given up on exploring the workings of the ship and had fallen asleep in his chair. Aranea wished she could do the same. She knew she needed all of her strength for the next battle, but sleep was elusive. It was for everyone.

They were becoming more and more nervous as they maneuvered closer and closer to the desert continent. Gladio was flexing his arm that now sported a flame armor bracer. He was studying it warily, as though doubting it would help them in the battle to come.

Ravus was glancing at his bracer as well—he had taken the twin bracer to Gladio's. He had shown no reaction to the airship and had merely climbed in and folded down a seat to use as though he had used one every day of his life. Although to be fair he probably had in his Empire days.

Even normally chatty Prompto was subdued, staring out the front windshield with wary attention. Noctis was looking tense, and Luna put her arm around him to hold him close. Aranea glanced sidelong to Ignis. She wanted the same comfort from him. He and Cor were inventorying their supplies to devise a strategy. She didn't want to distract him from his work, but the warmth of his body would help her feel a lot better right now.

She shook her head. Since when was she so needy? It was a battle like any other. She had never needed the comfort of her cadets before—she had often been the one who had to give pep talks herself. The fact that she needed comfort now was alarming.

Cindy was tense, evidently terrified of the thunder and lightning out the window. "We don't get this kinda weather out my way," she confided sheepishly, an apology for her fear. There was nothing anyone could do to console her. Without Ramuh, lightning everywhere was the new norm.

"Not again," Prompto exclaimed, at the same time Cid cursed and began swerving the ship. Noctis leapt up sharply to see who their foe was this time.

The water dragon swirled around the ship, translucent against the gray sky. A bolt of lightning struck it, causing it to make a wounded cry.

"Leviathan," Noctis exclaimed. "Lower the ship closer to the ocean!"

"We can't go too low or else we're fish food," Cid countered, but did Noctis's bidding the best he could.

The rest of the party moved clear of the hatch doors as they opened, and Noctis peered out at the water a few meters below. The water below took the form of Leviathan, her watery head coming even with the hatch.

"Sorry for my, volatile form," Leviathan said first off. "My regular form is still in Altissia. What you see is an, extension so to speak." She broke off as lightning crashed nearby. "I will probably be struck quite often, but I have some information that you need to hear."

"Go ahead," Noctis encouraged.

She opened her mouth to speak, just for lightning to strike her again. She gasped, disappearing for a moment, just to regenerate.

"I have, spoken to Bahamut. There is a way to bring Ramuh back and restore the balance."

"I'm guessing a 'but' here", Noctis replied warily.

"How much do you know about the crystal," Leviathan countered.

"It depends on if I can believe Ardyn or not about it. All I know for sure is that my family can wield its powers and it was the means to bring down Ardyn and restore light to the world."

Leviathan shook her head. "This will be a longer story than I thought then," she said then glanced around, willing the lightning to leave her alone. It appeared to be centered elsewhere at the moment.

"We, that is, the Six, created this planet as you know. However, when we saw certain forms of life not getting along, we knew we needed some kind of 'undo' mechanism to erase the problems, to be able to start with a clean slate if we had to. With our combined powers, we created the crystal to do this. It is a sentient entity just like us, but it embodies destruction."

"So, you are saying, the crystal is a God like you," Noctis replied, digesting this information.

"Yes. However, as destruction is, ironically, indestructible and immortal, it does not have the form of a 'human'. Human forms can be easily destroyed whereas destruction is solid and unchangeable. It took the form of an object to offset this."

She continued her tale. "As soon as we created it, Bahamut realized how dangerous an entity of pure destruction could be. If any one of us allied with it, we could destroy everything for petty reasons. So, he put a failsafe on it. It could only be used if all six of us agreed to use it."

"So, Ardyn was right on that," Ignis spoke up, also listening in.

"The crystal was forced to agree," Leviathan continued without answering Ignis's question specifically. "However, it chafed at those restrictions. It wanted to be able to destroy. So, it used whatever little bits of power it could muster around the failsafe to facilitate destruction. It gave its bits of power to beings who could handle that small amount of power and still use it to advantage. Humans, with their technology, were its best bet. It imprinted itself to people who had the power to destroy—notably 'The Accursed' and 'The Founder King' 2000 years ago."

"However, it saw that The Founder King did not have it in him to destroy—he used the power of light which did not suit the crystal's purpose. As such, it 'blessed' him, by giving him a normal lifespan. It 'cursed' The Accursed, seeing him as the embodiment of destruction that it needed. That is why we were forced to deem The Accursed unclean. It was not his motives—they were, at the time anyway, pure. We in fact had given him our blessings for them. However, since the crystal had chosen him to destroy, we had to smite him."

"We thought we had succeeded except that the crystal retaliated by giving him immortality—making him the Accursed indeed. That combined with the powers to absorb daemons that it had already given him made him the embodiment of the Starscourge. We did not know of our failure until he resurfaced ten years ago. But by then the Empire was already attempting to harness our powers so we were not at full capacity to stop him."

"The crystal decided to wait for us to agree to use it, figuring our only way out from the Empire's machinations was to wipe the slate clean. However, we hesitated, so it imprinted itself on Emperor Verstael. It made him so greedy for the crystal that he waged war upon Insomnia to get it."

"So, the attack on Insomnia, was the crystal's fault," Noctis replied, aghast.

"The Empire was still culpable, but in short, yes. It reveled at the chance to be claimed by the Empire, seeing them as the destructive dark force that would destroy everything. It also put itself closer to The Accursed to give him the opportunity to use it at will. However, he didn't cooperate. He managed to keep us from uniting so that we could not unanimously agree to use the crystal, and he refused to use it himself."

"If Ardyn didn't, couldn't the Emperor," Luna asked.

"Knowing Ardyn, he could have manipulated the Emperor somehow into not using it," Cor commented.

"Perhaps," Leviathan conceded. "However, his interference became an obstacle to the crystal, so it needed the destructive powers of light to offset The Accursed's dark powers and slay him. That is when it turned to you, Noctis. It gave you awesome powers to defeat Ardyn at the expense of your own life. A 'curse' in its own right."

"But, I saw Bahamut in the crystal world," Noctis exclaimed. "He was there."

"Crystals can't talk," Leviathan explained. "It needed a voice, someone you would trust, to encourage you to do it."

"So, it, shapeshifted, like Ardyn," Ravus spoke up.

"In a way," Leviathan replied. "It cannot change physical form, but it can interact with the minds of those it imprints itself upon and change forms in that interaction."

"So, everything that happened, Bahamut, the ten years in the crystal world, was all a setup by the crystal itself, to do away with its enemy," Noctis exclaimed in shock and fury.

"Unfortunately, yes," Leviathan replied regretfully.

"Why the hell didn't you say anything sooner," Noctis demanded. "We were in the afterlife, we've been here. Why didn't you say something!"

"The crystal symbolizes our mistake. We did not want you thinking less of us."

"What is this, high school," Noctis demanded scathingly. "You kept the truth from me because you wanted to look cool?"

"What happens when one begins doubting the Gods? Suddenly everyone does, and humanity loses hope, and we lose those with faith in us. We, did not want your sacrifice to be in vain—we hoped that we could keep the status quo as long as possible. However, now we know we cannot. This is why Bahamut instructed me to tell you everything, regardless of how much it hurts you or us. I, am sorry."

"Sorry," Luna spat out. "I thought obtaining your blessings was supposed to give him the power to use the crystal and become the Chosen King. Why the hell did I go through what I did in the first place!" Her voice broke, and she was near tears. Ravus glanced at her sharply. Noctis put his arm around her.

"It was not in vain, Oracle," Leviathan replied. "The Accursed still needed to be stopped. His embodiment of the darkness would have destroyed humanity eventually. If you received the blessing from all Six of us, not counting the crystal, Noctis would have had the powers of the Six, including Bahamut's powers of the afterlife, to take care of The Accursed once and for all."

Luna gave a shuddering sigh—not exactly mollified, but there was nothing she could do about it now.

"So, the crystal targeted me next," Lux asked fearfully. "But, I have no interest in destroying anything! Why would it do that to me?"

"Because you are the Accursed's son. It saw in you the potential for darkness inherited from your father. It sought to use you in his place."

"And it succeeded! I, destroyed Gralea and Galdin Quay. I, am a monster!"

Aranea quickly put her arm around him reassuringly.

"You are not," Ignis said firmly.

"Hold up," Prompto said. "So, if Lux is cool now, who will it try to make contact with next?"

"It has chosen Ifrit," Leviathan replied.

"Holy shit," Gladio burst out. "Giving its powers to a God? That's a total clusterfuck!"

"We've got to stop him," Aranea stated as though it was the most logical thing in the world.

"But, even if we do, the crystal will just choose somebody else," Ignis countered just as logically.

"Is there a way to destroy the crystal," Noctis asked Leviathan. "You said destruction is indestructible. Please say there is a way to destroy it."

Leviathan sighed. "There is a way, but you won't like it. Please understand, none of the Six can destroy it. As it is one of us, if we destroy it, it will go to Bahamut's realm. Can you imagine what would happen if something like that made it there?"

"It could make friends with some of the most evil dead people in history," Prompto replied. "That would really suck."

"It would destroy the afterlife eventually," Leviathan continued, ignoring what Prompto had said.

"So we have to destroy it here," Noctis replied.

"Yes. It requires those with the Blessings of the Six to feed all of the powers into it at once. This person can override the failsafe and order the crystal to destroy according to its master's bidding. If he wills it to destroy itself, it will."

Noctis's shoulders slumped. "But, none of us has that. I am closest, but I never got Ifrit's or Bahamut's blessings."

"Yes, you did. Bahamut give you his blessing when he returned you to this world. And as for Ifrit, you defeated him on your way to defeat The Accursed. That counts as a blessing."

"Can you just call him Ardyn and be done with it," Aranea demanded. "It seems to me that he has actually done more to protect this place from the crystal than you ever did."

"You are correct," Leviathan conceded. "However, he is far too willing to embrace destruction for 'good' ends. We cannot condone that."

"Maybe he would have been less destructive if you hadn't cursed him," Ignis observed coldly—the only critique of the Gods he had ever uttered.

"So, the only one who has the blessing of all Six is me," Noctis stated, resigned. "Will I destroy other things along with the crystal or just it?"

"As long as you order it to just destroy itself, it will do just that. Nothing else. Except, the power required to commune with it at that level will kill the user. And Bahamut will not be able to bring him back," Leviathan said sadly.

"Oh no," Luna cried out.

"Not again," Prompto exclaimed in horror.

"Let us focus on getting Iris back," Cor said briskly. "We can figure out how to deal with the crystal after that."

Cor was right, Noctis thought. However, he knew that there was no other way to deal with the crystal. It looked like he was again in a case where he would have to save the world at the expense of his life. And knowing that the first time had been a sham made it even harder to swallow. It seemed like he wasn't the Chosen after all.

* * *

Ardyn sauntered through the rocky desert, his heavy boots crunching on the sandy pebbles at his feet. He supposed it would have saved time and effort to have Ifrit carry him back to the shore, but he did not relish close physical contact with him. Their journey back to the coastal cliffs was silent. Ifrit spent his time glancing around, looking for tracks or any trace of Iris.

"There is no sign of her, Izunia," Ifrit finally sneered threateningly. "Are you sure she came this way?"

"Why else would I be traipsing through this 'Glorious Kingdom' of yours," Ardyn sneered back. "It's not like I _want_ to walk around in this heat. Rather than questioning my motives, you should be focused on finding Miss Iris. I do worry that she will sail away before we get to her. I can only do so much," Ardyn commented with mock regret.

Ifrit growled. "Where did you moor your boat? I can get there myself before you take another step."

"I told you," Ardyn replied wearily. "I don't know where it is—everything looks the same to me. I will need to see the landmarks before I know where it is. It won't take me long to find it once we reach the cliffs."

Ifrit hissed in frustration and continued to stomp behind Ardyn.

Too bad Ifrit was immune to the heat, Ardyn thought. Otherwise he could have walked his foe around the desert until he died of dehydration. It wouldn't affect Ardyn now that he was immortal, but it wouldn't affect his present foe either. He had other plans though.

Ardyn saw the mesa behind which he had moored the boat. Without telling Ifrit, and leaving it for him to figure out, Ardyn warped to the top of the mesa then down to the beach at the other side. Ifrit caught on faster than Ardyn thought. He was already leaping down to the beach right after Ardyn.

"Oh good! The boat is still here, along with Iris" Ardyn commented brightly, then sauntered over to it.

Ifrit approached with the smug satisfaction of a hunter cornering its prey, only to stop dead in his tracks.

"What is this," he demanded, staring down at the stone statue that was Iris Amitica.

Ardyn smirked in satisfaction at having nonplussed Ifrit. "What's what? Oh dear, she has been petrified," he replied dryly. "That is indeed too bad."

"You did this," Ifrit roared.

"You said you wanted to grind her under your boot heel, did you not," Ardyn sneered mockingly. "This should make it easier for you. She should make quite an impressive powder now."

Ifrit raised his hand to strike Ardyn. Ardyn warped back out of the way. "But, oh yes. Now I remember," Ardyn mocked from a safe(ish) distance away. "You wanted to, and I quote, 'ravage her, surrounded by the corpses of all those she cares about,'" Ardyn taunted. "You can't do that to a statue—well I suppose you could, but she would not feel it, which is the entire point to a vindictive deviant such as yourself. And even if you could kill me, a tall order now that I'm immortal, I am a man she hates. We don't always get what we want, do we, Infernian," Ardyn concluded, voice low, menacing.

"A tall order, you say," Ifrit shouted back, shrill in his fury. "It will be easier than you think when I reduce you to the petty human you are!" And with that, he waved his hands again, aiming to strip Ardyn of his newfound immortality.

Ardyn stood there, glaring back at Ifrit, daring him to do his worst. He was taking a big risk, but he had faith in the crystal's duplicity. He was correct. Ifrit's hands did nothing—they just waved uselessly at the air.

Ifrit flailed again, just for the same thing (aka nothing) to happen.

Ardyn guffawed like a madman for a moment, partially relief, part triumph. "The crystal betrayed you, Infernian. Only the power of light can undo immortality—and you have embraced darkness."

Ifrit screamed in rage and lunged towards Ardyn again, not even thinking clearly in his fury. Ardyn merely warped to the top of the mesa.

"Let us end this charade, Infernian," Ardyn called down to his foe, and drew his sword. "Your doings 2000 years ago forced me to become the Accursed, and that was your mistake. Now it is time for you to pay for it. Let's have it, then."

Ifrit did not disappoint. He charged up to the top of the mesa, flame sword out, ready to strike.

Ardyn jumped back to get some distance. Ifrit countered with a sweep of his hand. Flames erupted from it, shooting into an arc around the rim of the mesa, effectively enclosing them within a wall of flame.

Ardyn glanced at the ring of fire, impressed despite himself. "A fitting arena for our duel, wouldn't you say," he sneered, then lunged.

Ifrit parried his strike with his flame sword, with a force that pushed Ardyn back towards the flame barrier. He rapidly attempted to disengage as he retreated closer and closer to the flame wall behind him. He could feel the heat of the flames begin to sear his back. Even though immortal, fire still hurt. He refused to let Ifrit burn him on principle. In desperation to escape that fate, he twisted aside just inches from the flames. He hit the ground and rolled, rapidly attempting to escape Ifrit's feet and the flame wall.

He was successful, but his fedora wasn't so lucky—it got caught up in the flames he narrowly missed and was burnt to a crisp. Ardyn glanced at the pile of ashes that was once his hat.

"That one was my favorite," Ardyn commented regretfully, then leapt up to attempt to stab Ifrit in the face. Ifrit tried to get a bead on him with another flame jet, but Ardyn warped in a serpentine fashion to prevent it. Ifrit was forced to leap aside himself, but not before Ardyn grazed the side of his cheek. Lava oozed out like blood.

"Do you think humans are useless _now_ ," Ardyn taunted. "With similar powers to yours we can be just as vindictive, and just as powerful."

"Powerful," Ifrit sneered, raising a hand to strike and forcing Ardyn to dodge again. "I have been around for eons! And where were you?"

"Oh, I was most likely there. I have been around for millennia after all," Ardyn replied dryly, just to see a rock being flung right towards him.

There was no time to dodge. Hating the necessity but being driven to it, Ardyn summoned a pistol (the same pistol he had been forced to use to escape Aranea's shackles in the dungeons of the Citadel), and shot the rock point blank. It shattered into a thousand pieces. Ardyn flinched as some of these pieces acted as shrapnel, grazing his face. It would have hurt if he were still mortal.

He tossed his hair to get the shards out of it. "Tsk, tsk," Ardyn taunted again. "Using Titan's powers does not become you."

"Don't you mention that traitor to me! If he were truly one of us he would be here helping."

"Face it, Infernian: the only one who wants humans exterminated is you. You are alone," Ardyn said flatly, voice cold, implacable. "You against all humanity."

"Humans are useless! Bring them all on for all I care!"

Ardyn gave an oily smirk. "My apologies. You have to make do with just me." And he summoned his own set of royal arms—the red-auraed twin of Noctis's set and launched them at Ifrit one by one.

The shield struck Ifrit in the head, knocking him to his knees for a moment. The polearm pierced his right foot, holding him in place; the bow launched an arrow that struck him in the throat; the shuriken star ground into his thigh; the daggers struck each kidney; the mace struck his left hand; the katana slashed his right wrist; the axe cleaved his left leg behind the knee. And finally the swords and blades struck him through the torso.

Ifrit was impaled in blades, writhing in agony, the lava spewing forth in earnest now. His left hand was half-severed from his wrist, dangling limply. His right hand was gnarled and broken. His leg gushed bloody lava. However, Ifrit's inner darkness was fighting back. Black mist was covering over the wounds, sealing them up. His severed hand merged with his wrist.

Ardyn stared intently at his foe. "We can't have this, can we," he mocked. "Allow me to release you from your darkness." Ardyn summoned the Scepter of the Pious and began to extract Ifrit's daemon powers, absorbing them into himself. Ardyn tensed a moment as he felt the cold blackness seep into his innermost self.

He was so focused on his goal that he forgot to mind his surroundings. He felt rough hands grab him by the shoulders and push him down flat on his face on the mesa. He couldn't maintain the presence of the scepter, and it receded.

"You son of a bitch," Gladio exclaimed from above him. "What the hell did you do to Iris?"

Ardyn sighed. His hard work was for nothing. Thanks to Gladio's interference, Ardyn had been unable to complete the job. Ifrit shook off his stun and systematically ripped out every one of the weapons impaling him. The shadows did their work and healed his wounds.

Ifrit glowered down at the party of Gladio, Noctis, Cor, Ignis, and Prompto who had congregated on top of the mesa. A gap in the flame wall and a nearby shattered ice magic vial told the tale of how they had reached him. Even now Ignis had another ice bottle in his hand poised, ready to toss at Ifrit. Worse yet, they were wearing Amatersu's flame armor. Leave it to that bitch to fail him in the clutch, he thought bitterly. Ifrit didn't like the odds at this point and with one fluid movement, leapt down the other side of the mesa and retreated back into the desert.

Prompto looked between the departing Ifrit and Ardyn uncertainly, trying to decide who the more imminent threat was.

Ardyn raked his hand through his hair in frustration. "If you are wondering who your foe is, it is still Ifrit," he said mockingly.

"My business is with you," Gladio sneered, taking a menacing step forward.

Ardyn glanced back to the boat, now visible as the flame barrier receded. Luna was hovering over Iris, her healing light already beginning her work. Aranea, Ravus, and Lux were standing guard nearby; and Cindy, Holly, Cid, and Talcott were pacing around outside of their landed airship. It had been awhile since he had seen one of those, Ardyn mused, but then focused back on his current petty threat.

"It appears the Oracle is living up to her namesake," Ardyn commented. "Your, 'darling' sister should be returned to normal any time now, and none the worse for wear. Why, she hasn't even been sunburned or struck by lightning amid all of this."

"And that makes it all better," Gladio sneered, fingering his sword.

"You really should be focusing on the Infernian right now. If you wait much longer, he will become a daemon, and then I seriously doubt your chances of success," Ardyn countered coldly.

"He's right, unfortunately," Ignis commented sharply. "The longer we tarry here, the more dangerous he is."

Gladio still hesitated.

"I will go ahead," Noctis stated flatly. "If you want to stay here, be my guest."

This shook Gladio back to reality. Despite his desire to avenge his sister, he was also Noctis's sworn shield. He could not let his king go off to defeat Ifrit on his own. And besides, the most certain way to ensure Iris was safe was to take Ifrit down. They had handled Ardyn before—they could do so again after Ifrit was dealt with.

Gladio backed down, but glared at Ardyn. "I will deal with you later," he commented darkly.

"Oh, I am quaking in my boots," Ardyn mocked back.

Noctis gave Ardyn a level look. "We don't have time to deal with you right now, but this isn't over. Either help us with Ifrit or stay out our way."

"But I already helped," Ardyn whined sarcastically. "He was at death's door in fact, and I would have succeeded if 'Older Brother' over here hadn't interrupted me. Perhaps you'd like to stand around here while _I_ go after him?"

Noctis and his other allies looked at each other. "Let's go," Noctis finally said.

"His lair is in a canyon a few miles away," Ardyn called after them. Let them deal with Ifrit, Ardyn thought. He may be immortal, but he was still hot and tired, and frustrated.


	56. Chapter 56: Heart of Stone

**Hi Everyone! I have the next chapter ready to go. This one is a bit longer than usual since the last half has to go together and would be tough to split up. Spoiler alert, there is some minor ArdynxAranea (Ardynea haha) this chapter-there was so much unplanned tension that built up between the two that I could not ignore it. I for one am intrigued by villain/heroine tension, but I know it may not be everyone's cup of tea. Anyway-enough disclaimers: here goes and thanks for reading!**

* * *

One of the earliest lessons to have stuck with Luna was that petrification was one of the trickier spells for Oracles to combat. The duration and severity of the effects depended on the strength of the spellcaster and on how long the victim had been afflicted with it. For someone like Talcott, who used it as one low-level spell of many in his repertoire, the effects were mild and of short duration. Victims could heal on their own or be given a remedy potion to mitigate the damage.

Being attacked by someone who was specialized in the skill, or who was very strong, made the effects much more dangerous. Remedy potions did not work on them. The only way to tell how strong the spell was was by giving someone a Remedy potion, and if didn't work, summon the Oracle. This took time, and meant that by the time the Oracle got involved, the situation was already pretty dire.

At this point, there were three phases to the affliction, and what phase the Oracle had to deal with was all a matter of timing. Phase 1 happened immediately and affected just the outer body—skin, muscle, hair, and clothes. If one caught it immediately after it had occurred, standard remedy potions still worked fine on it, and an Oracle could heal it quite easily.

If one waited too long, petrfication went into Phase 2. This affected the inner organs which put one's body into full stasis. Potions could not handle this, and only the Oracle's healing light had a chance of success. Even then, it was one of the more difficult and draining tasks for an Oracle to handle.

If medical help took too long after Phase 2, petrification moved into Phase 3. In this case, the heart itself was turned to stone. This was incurable even to an Oracle. If someone moved into Phase 3, they were dead, turned to stone forever. And Iris had been stone for hours if not longer…

Luna put her hand on stone Iris's chest, feeling desperately for a heartbeat. She found it, but it was slow, sluggish.

She looked to Ravus in sharp concern. "She's almost in Phase 3. With how long it takes to heal Phase 2 I, may not be fast enough. I, need your help. You have mother's healing light as well. We need to do this together."

"I can't use it, you know that," Ravus replied in desperation.

"Do you want to watch her die," Luna countered in equal desperation. "You can help amplify my powers so we can maybe heal her in half the time."

"Tell me what to do," Ravus demanded.

"Hold my hand with one hand, then put your other hand on her heart. Keep it there the whole time, and do not let go, regardless of what happens."

Ravus complied, awkwardly. He was not used to healing situations—his own skills lent themselves more to combat. He'd much rather be smashing Ardyn's smug face into the rocks for what he had done to Iris than doing something outside his comfort zone like this. However, Gladio had already run off to do just that, with hardly a glance at his sister. He had merely seen her petrified and had run off to avenge it.

Iris didn't need that. She needed people with her to help her, to heal her, or to just be with her. Even though he doubted his abilities, Ravus allowed his own, frustratingly weak, healing glow to trickle from both hands to provide whatever meager energy he could to both Luna and Iris. He had to concede that it felt, strange to feel a weak heartbeat coming from a stone statue. He had heard the term, "living breathing statue" before, but had never thought it could actually exist.

Iris's heartbeat was slow and becoming slower underneath his hand. She was fragile despite her stone façade, and he knew real fear that he would feel her die. He needed to be stronger, for her. He was not an Oracle, but he still had his bloodline's powers innately. He had to dredge up every drop he could. He would not let her die. He still had to scold her for running off in Insomnia. He still had to make sure she was ok. He still had to take her into his arms and reassure her…

"Be careful," Luna ordered. "If you try to pull too much of your light, you will burn out! I just need whatever you can easily give over to supplement."

"I don't think we have time for that," Ravus snapped back, jaw clenched with exertion. "Her heartbeat is failing. If we don't heal her now, she will die!"

Luna sighed in resignation. He was right. She could feel Iris's coldness even through the stone. They had to heal her now.

"Anything I can do," Lux demanded in desperation. "I, was petrified myself. If any of that would help her now, I will do whatever."

Luna gave him a sad smile. "Just, hold her hand. She, would like that," she replied. Lux complied immediately, taking her stone hand in his.

Aranea knelt on Iris's other side and took her other hand as well. Whatever happened, Iris would not be alone. Aranea was seething with fury. Ardyn had done this, she knew. If Iris died because of him, she would kill Ardyn herself with her bare hands. It didn't matter if he was immortal or not. She would make him pay, in any way she could think of. She allowed the heat of her anger against Ardyn to seep into Iris's stone hand. Any bit of extra warmth, no matter where it came from, could only help, she figured.

It took everything Ravus and Luna had, but they were beginning to see progress. Iris's heartbeat, while still slow, had stabilized. The gray stone began to fade, back into organic colors. Iris's hair turned from chalky stone gray back to her regular dark brown. Her gray clothes turned back to their normal colors.

Her face, though returned to human, remained gray, bloodless.

"She's not breathing," Luna cried out in alarm. "We, need more healing light," she blurted out, tears in her voice. However, she knew they were out of power. The healing light, even combined with Ravus's, was flickering out. They had been so close, but even that had not been enough.

Ravus didn't stop to think or to argue with his sister. He merely ducked his head, pinched Iris's nose, and placed his mouth on Iris's, giving her mouth to mouth resuscitation, his breath flowing into her lungs. His efforts paid off with a slight gasp against him. He pulled back, and Iris was breathing on her own, taking gasping, shuddering breaths.

Luna stared at her brother, awestruck. "You, have healing abilities after all," she blurted out.

Ravus smiled ruefully. "Not really. In this case it was just good old fashioned first aid."

"Whatever you call it, man. That was awesome," Lux gushed to his new hero. Then, continuing to hold Iris's hand, Lux watched the color return to Iris's face, as she slowly but surely began to regain consciousness.

* * *

Iris opened her eyes, just to have to close them again when the bright desert light hit them. She tried again, flickering them open for a brief moment. The first face she saw was Lux's.

"You're awake," Lux replied in cheery relief, and then Iris saw a shadow appear from her other side, and felt cool gentle hands on her wrist taking a pulse.

"Your heartbeat is returning to normal. Thank goodness," Luna exclaimed from her other side.

"L—Luna," Iris sputtered out from her very dry throat. "How did you, get here?" And, where was here, she thought in a panic. She remembered the boat, with Ardyn, then…

"Ardyn petrified me," she exclaimed, then tried to sit up, only to feel a wave of dizziness. Before she could orient herself, she felt strong hands on her shoulders pull her back down with surprising force.

"Don't move around so fast or you'll pass out," Ravus ordered from behind her. She slowly turned her swimming head to face him. He was a far cry from the stoic white-armored man she had become used to seeing. His white armor was gone, replaced with casual clothes. His usually well-manicured goatee had grown out, alongside the stubble on the rest of his usually shaven cheeks. With his graying hair, he looked like cross between a wizard and a lumberjack. Suddenly, she imagined him in some kind of pointed wizard hat with stars on it, and couldn't help but snicker at the absurdity.

Ravus glanced at her sharply, to make sure her snicker was not some kind of precursor to something dire. For the first time, she noticed how drawn, and haunted, he looked, and sobered up immediately. "Are, you ok," she found herself asking him.

He looked at her as though she had just arrived from another planet. "Me," he demanded. "You are the one who almost died. It took all Luna had to bring you back from the brink," he replied angrily.

"I, wouldn't say that," Luna replied. "You did most of the work."

"Luna totally did stuff," Lux replied from beside her. "But yeah, Ravus. He gave you mouth to mouth and everything."

Iris glanced sharply back to Ravus, her gaze resting on his mouth. Suddenly realizing that it had been on hers and had revived her, almost like a prince's waking kiss to Sleeping Beauty, made her blush. He saw that, and rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. "Anyone would have done it," he said, awkwardly. "You weren't breathing and needed help."

"Look who's being humble now," Aranea gently teased her old comrade from beside Lux. "The fact is none of us were together enough to even think of that except for him. He saved your life."

Iris glanced back to Ravus. "Thank you," she breathed. Something flickered in his eyes that suddenly made her feel that they were the only two people there. Then she realized that was not the case and looked back to Luna. "Thank you too, Luna," she said graciously. "But, how did you guys get here." She struggled to sit up again. This time Ravus helped her by putting his arm around her shoulders. He didn't let go afterwards though, and she had to admit the warmth and strength of his arm made her feel, better.

"Holly, Cid, and Cindy got an old imperial airship back up and running," Luna explained. "Ignis and Aranea traced you as far as Altissia, then Ardyn pointed us the rest of the way."

"Ardyn did," Iris exclaimed. "He, wanted you to follow us? But why?"

Aranea glanced up at the mesa. Ardyn was watching them, an inscrutable look on his face. "I'm going to find out," Aranea stated boldly, then dragoon-leapt up the mesa to confront him.

Ravus was torn. He wanted to provide backup to Aranea, and strike Ardyn with his own hands, but Iris still seemed dazed and confused. For now he deemed it more important to get her up to speed with recent events and make sure she was ok. And he had to admit it felt, cozy to have his arm around her. He didn't feel like relinquishing that just yet.

* * *

Ardyn watched impassively as Aranea made her dragoon leap towards him, and he calmly stepped aside as she landed, her polearm impaling the rocky ground of the mesa with a shower of pebbles. She turned sharply to face him.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't stick this polearm up your ass right now," Aranea ground out. "You nearly killed Iris, and were going to give her over to Ifrit!"

"Oh, how graphic," Ardyn taunted back at her threat. "Give _me_ one good reason why I shouldn't run you through with my sword. I could warp behind you right now and do it before you could even make one step to prevent me," he countered.

Aranea didn't want to hear it. She wrenched out her polearm from the ground and brought it forward like a lance, forcing Ardyn to parry the blow with his sword with enough force that it drew sparks and pushed Aranea back a few steps.

She saw firsthand how strong he was, and paused warily for a moment in a defensive posture, mind racing with what she could try next.

"I honestly had no idea Iris would nearly die from the petrification," Ardyn drawled, keeping his distance, to Aranea's relief. "I thought keeping her in that state would protect her from Ifrit, should I fail; and that the Oracle would be able to heal her quite easily even if she reached Phase 3. I know I could," Ardyn countered arrogantly.

Aranea hissed and lunged again, forcing him to raise his sword again to parry. Aranea was ready this time and at the last minute circled to the side in an attempt to land a blow. She bashed him in his side, causing him to grunt in pain for a moment, before righting himself.

"Why didn't you heal her then, if it was 'so easy' for you," Aranea sneered.

"In the time it would have taken arguing about it and getting you to trust me anywhere near her, she would have died," Ardyn replied calmly.

His excuse was logical, but Aranea wasn't in the mood for logic. She wanted to make him hurt, for what he had done to Iris, as well as to her. She lunged again, but this time Ardyn warped away.

"Really, you should be grateful to me. You'd still be wandering aimlessly around Altissia were it not for me," Ardyn taunted.

Aranea's hand clenched on her polearm. "Just so you could lead us into some kind of trap! I know how you operate, Ardyn Izunia," she sneered.

"It's a shame you weren't up here earlier. You would have seen me doing my level best to destroy the Infernian. I would have succeeded except for Gladio deciding to avenge Iris rather than seeing to her well-being," Ardyn replied bitterly. "Despite what you believe, I am on your side here."

"I don't believe you," Aranea replied implacably, then lunged forward again, forcing Ardyn to once again parry.

"I'd be careful if I were you, Commodore," Ardyn warned darkly, beginning to lose patience with her antics. "I am immortal, and you are not. You should let bygones be bygones, and I will do the same."

Aranea let out a brittle laugh. "This from the man who has held a grudge for 2000 years. Do you really think I would believe that you would let anything go ever?"

"You should, for your own safety," Ardyn replied coldly.

"Screw safety," Aranea yelled back. "I will make you pay for what you did if I have to die to do it!" So saying she made a dragoon leap, jumped high above him, then rapidly descended, polearm first in an attempt to impale him from above.

Ardyn sighed, manifested a polearm of his own, and quickly and brutally swatted hers aside with it. She landed on top of him with a bruising impact that caused her to lose her grip of her polearm. It rolled aside out of her reach. Before she could disengage herself from her uncomfortable position, Ardyn rolled, shifting his weight so their positions were suddenly reversed with her pinned on the rocky ground beneath him. Now her position was even more uncomfortable.

Aranea felt entangled in his cloaks, and in his limbs. She didn't like the strength of the body against hers. It was not something she could easily shake off. That, plus the intimacy of it, terrified her. She was not one to show fear though. She would have to brazen it out, even though the thought of being, for the moment anyway, utterly defenseless against him and at his mercy was easily the most frightening thing she had ever faced. And she had faced things that would make even a hardened warrior turn pale.

Ardyn merely stared down at her, his polearm disappearing into the void where the Royal Arms stayed when not in use. "The only reason you are still alive, Aranea, is because of Lux," Ardyn commented darkly, threateningly. "It would be cruel of me to make him an orphan, and, let's face it: you are a better parent for him than I could ever be."

Aranea gaped in shocked indignation. "You are playing the part of a 'caring father,' now," she finally exclaimed in blustering disbelief. "Bullshit! You are nothing but a greasy, slimy, lying piece of…"

Ardyn was tired of being lambasted. He was tired of everyone's hatred, and suddenly didn't want to hear Aranea's castigation. That was his only (flimsy) excuse for what he did next.

The flash in his eyes was Aranea's only warning. She had a moment to realize that being pinned underneath Ardyn was probably not the best time to have antagonized him. Before she could figure out what to do next, he lowered his mouth to hers and began kissing her with an enthusiasm and expertise that even Aranea, with her limited experience, could taste.

The action, and the sensations, shocked her, freezing her into immobility for a moment while his mouth marauded hers. She could feel the unshaven stubble against her cheek, and the heat of his embrace. It went beyond anger, or lust, or violence. She knew he was trying to claim something, and she didn't know what that was. Fear of his strength and the power of his emotions frightened her. She wanted none of it and panicked, flailing her hands against his chest, fighting to get away.

Ardyn complied at once, breaking away and giving her some room, although he still did not let her out of the pin.

"I, am no better than the Infernian it seems," Ardyn commented bitterly. "I, meant no harm."

"Let me up," Aranea ordered, voice still a little breathless from shock.

He complied, standing up with fluid grace, then held his hand down to her to help her up.

She pointedly refused it, rose on her own, and picked up her polearm with a shaking hand. It was more to make her feel better though—her anger and desire to attack him had burnt out, leaving her drained.

"For what it's worth, I do apologize for that," Ardyn said, and it certainly seemed genuine. "I don't suppose we can keep this our little secret? I don't relish having to watch my back lest one or both of Ignis's daggers finds its way into it."

"Whether I tell Ignis about this is my decision, not yours," Aranea spat back, not forgiving him for a moment.

Ardyn merely shrugged, resigned. "Of course. However, at the same time, you may want to remind Ignis of my immortality. As formidable of an opponent he is, he still cannot offset _that."_

Aranea sighed. "Keep your hands and mouth, and, anything else off of me and I will consider keeping silent," Aranea replied.

"Of course," Ardyn replied with alacrity. "You don't even need to make me a promise of secrecy in exchange. I don't force myself upon the unwilling. Even I have standards. However, should you find yourself interested in my, charms in the future, do let me know," he added with a smirk and a suggestively raised eyebrow.

Aranea sputtered in indignation. "The only thing I am interested in is beating the crap out of you! But since that isn't working out too well, all I can do is protect Iris from you." And with that parting shot she leapt back down to Iris. She would protect her from Ardyn, and Luna and Ravus would protect Aranea from him.

Ardyn watched her go and raked his hand through his hair. "Iris is safe from me," he murmured. "As are you. But whatever makes you feel better, my dear."

He had hit a new low today, Ardyn thought philosophically. And one that he was still reeling from. He had crossed a line he had never meant to cross with Aranea. He had known, rationally, that she didn't think of him the same way he thought of her. He knew that she deserved better than him. However, hope sprung eternal, and he had wondered, for one moment, if the seething anger she felt against him concealed some kind of unrequited passion. That plus not wanting to hear her long-winded insults had driven him to kiss her, to shut her up, to see if his perceptions about her were correct.

It had been a mistake, as he should have known it would be. Life wasn't like a romance novel, with hatred and attraction being two sides of the same coin. At the end of the day, hatred was still hatred. Aranea hated his guts, and always would. And all he had done was turn himself into a creep in the bargain. Well, he had always been a creep—he enjoyed weirding people out with his presence. But not like this—stealing a kiss from an unwilling woman was a special kind of creepiness that even he did not want a part of.

He sighed, regretfully. The best thing he could do for Aranea right now was to leave her alone. Perhaps Noct needed some help with Ifrit? Turning the Infernian to ash would help him feel better.

* * *

Aranea leaned against the airship, staying a silent sentry while Iris caught up with Cindy, Luna, Lux, Talcott, Cid, and Holly on recent events. Ravus stood stoically at Iris's side, holding her arm with a gentle protectiveness. He would undoubtedly say it was, "in case she was still dizzy", but Aranea knew better. She had known Ravus for years. He had always been cold, stoic and no-nonsense to everyone, man or woman. To see him this protective of Iris implied that he had a heart, and it was well on its way to being lost to Iris.

And Iris didn't seem indifferent either. She kept giving him surreptitious glances, looking at him as though he were different than any other man she had ever met. Aranea could almost laugh at that. He had always been just another soldier to Aranea—albeit a stick-in-the-mud soldier. Some of her cadets had once taken a bet to see if they could get him to unbend enough to join them for drinks, but had been unsuccessful. To see Iris all but swooning over him was absurd, but also endearing.

It almost made up for her own doldrums. She was still reeling over what Ardyn had done to her on the mesa. She remembered what Cor said about hatred masking attraction. Was that, a thing here? For all the emotions she had felt during his embrace, disgust had not been one of them. She had to concede he seemed to know how to kiss. If she had been less frightened, or endured his touch longer, would her anger and hatred have shifted to desire? Not love—never love—only Ignis could evoke those feelings. But if she had stayed in Ardyn's arms, would she have grown to like it? That was not something she ever wanted to know about herself.

Thank goodness she had had the sense to push him away, and that he had been surprisingly noble enough to release her when she resisted. She had been totally outmatched and could not have done much else to fight him off if he had continued. The fact that he had backed off was a point in his favor. Just one plus amid a sea of minuses.

Still, despite all his flaws, she now knew she could not kill him. For the most part because he was immortal and, unfortunately, stronger than her. However, she had also gotten to know him, too much. Not only the kiss, that did reveal too much of what was coiled within him, but also his self-recrimination and repentance afterward. He was a liar and a manipulator, but the kiss and what came after were genuine.

Even his "suggestive offer" to her afterwards was more of an invitation—a hint that whatever followed (if anything) would be on her terms. He was, too human to her now. He would never be an ally, but as much as he should be, she was not seeing him as an enemy anymore. Even if she had the ability to do so, she feared she would hesitate if she had to kill him.

That didn't mean she was attracted to him though. She was not a woman who liked to combine passion and danger—and succumbing to whatever persuasion Ardyn offered was exactly that. All he could do was hurt, or use any feelings she could have for him against her. He could not be trusted, and she valued trust. Even if by some strange trick of fate she ended up in some kind of torrid affair with him, it would just end in pain and heartbreak. And her romantic feelings, awakened by Ignis's gentle intensity, were too new, too fragile to ever fall in line with Ardyn's dark passions.

She shook her head in self-contempt. She refused to paint Ardyn as some kind of dark, romantic figure. He was not a man who would be redeemed (or changed) by the right woman. Men like him could never be changed—and any woman foolish enough to try would just end up hurt.

She wanted passion tied to trust, and a steadfast loyalty. A man who would always be there for her. A man who would protect and love her as she loved him. Ignis was that man. If it had been him up on that mesa pressed against her—her blood heated at the thought, along with a sense of relief. It was Ignis she loved and desired—even the practiced kisses of a, well frankly, mature, handsome man were nothing against it.

She glanced up warily to the mesa. She didn't want Ardyn watching her, trying to read her thoughts. To her relief, he was gone. But that relief was short-lived. If she didn't know where he was, he could be anywhere, backstabbing somebody, or plotting something else. Despite the fact that she never wanted to see him again, she knew she had no choice. She had to protect the others from him and keep him at bay. She may not be able to kill Ardyn, but she could still beat him within a few inches of his immortal life if he dared try to start anything with Ignis and Noctis. With a last glance to Lux and Iris to make sure they were safe, she returned to the mesa and jumped off the other side to make her way into the desert.

* * *

 **Hope I did not make anyone mad with the Ardyn/Aranea kiss-I do like the villain/heroine "romance" tropes, but I know they can fall flat very easily and polarize some readers. I did want to explore this angle with them without breaking Ignis's heart in the process. Hope you guys stick with the story-Ifrit and the crystal still need their comeuppance. Till next time!**


	57. Chapter 57: Admitting Weakness

**Happy October everyone! Hope you are still with me after last chapter. Welcome to the story train, willowhale8. Thanks for the follow/fave! Thanks as always to everyone following along. Without further ado, let's get to the next chapter, shall we?**

* * *

"Here's another track," Cor observed, pointing to the large well of shifted sand at the warriors's feet.

"How can you even tell that," Prompto replied. "It just looks like a regular hole to me."

"Made by what," Cor commented. "There is no wind right now, and no way for the sand to be disturbed here except by impact. I've hunted enough marks to know a footprint when I see one."

"How can you know this is Ifrit's though," Noctis asked. "I mean, we have fought some bigass marks in our time."

"You know any bipedal ones that can leave holes this size? Look there," Cor commented pointing to another similar hole ahead. "The distance and frequency of these holes indicates something bipedal. You know any two-legged marks this size other than Ifrit?"

"They don't call you an expert hunter for nothing," Noctis replied, impressed. "I'll follow your lead here."

Cor merely nodded, and scanned the path ahead to see if they could see their prey. Ifrit was lost somewhere in the heat-shifting horizon.

"At least the storms have stopped," Prompto commented as he took stock of the hot, still desert they were marching through.

"That's because Ifrit's power is keeping it away," Gladio replied gruffly. "All that means is we have a powerful foe on our hands."

"Hmph. I have never known you to be so pessimistic," Cor commented to his protégé. "He is a foe just like any other."

"Except that he is a daemonified God," Ignis contributed to the conversation. "I daresay that makes him more formidable."

"We have fought both him and daemons before and lived to tell the tale," Noctis replied flatly.

"Except for the daemon army part after you defeated Ardyn," Gladio cut in, reminding him of what had slain them.

"Ifrit didn't kill us, and we took on plenty of daemons before that," Noctis commented, desperate to explain himself. "By that logic, we have a chance here." But then he remembered the chance (or lack thereof) he would have against the crystal even if they survived this, and his face tightened.

"Yeah. And we have the fire armor too," Prompto added in brightly in an attempt to diffuse the sudden gloom. He then glanced down admiringly at the protective leggings he was wearing.

Ignis stopped to take inventory. Noct had the flame chestplate, Cor one of the greaves, Gladio one of the bracers, and he had the other greave. From what Noct and Cor had reported, even one piece would make them flameproof. There seemed to be some truth to it—despite the searing heat of the desolate landscape, he felt like he was walking on a balmy beach. He felt, quite comfortable in fact. And the others were not fanning themselves or taking off their coats, or showing any indication that they were overheated. Perhaps they did stand a chance with this armor.

As for how they could fare against the crystal—he broke away from that thought. One problem at a time.

The only flame armor items outstanding were one of the bracers (currently in Ravus's possession) and the tiara, which Luna now held. The Nox Fleruet siblings would make a good wave of reinforcements, but they were better served assisting Iris at the moment, as were Aranea and Lux. Ignis hoped he could keep Aranea out of this fight—she had seemed willing to help with Iris. However, he had the sinking feeling that she would pursue them before too long. And unless she had the foresight to grab one of the armor pieces from Luna or Ravus first, she would have very low defenses for the fight ahead.

And Ardyn—what was his play here? He seemed to have been engaging Ifrit when they arrived, but then, he had obviously hurt Iris….

Ignis deemed it prudent to serve as rear guard and watch behind them. He didn't trust Ardyn to not try to sneak up on them. And if nothing else, he could intercept Aranea if (no likely, when) she caught up.

The rocky buttes that they had been seeing on the horizon suddenly loomed large before them—they had evidently finally reached them. And there was canyon dead ahead—a path with the buttes rearing up on either side. From what Cor could tell, Ifrit's footprints led right through it.

"We go through there," Noctis asked his guide, suddenly tense.

"Yeah," Cor replied darkly. "This looks like a prime spot for an ambush."

"That assumes we go through it," Noctis replied. "I can warp to the top of one of the canyon walls, and scout ahead that way. Then I can clear the way for the rest of you, or warn you of any trouble."

"Hey, Iggy, do you still have that grappling hook thing," Prompto asked him. "I was thinking I could do the same from the other side. I've got a gun—that plus a high up vantage point and we can totally kick ass."

"That idea does have merit," Ignis replied, rummaging through his satchel to drag out the grappling hook. "Will you be alright on your own?"

Prompto gave him a withering look. "Why does everyone think I'm such a weakling? Who helped Gladio take down tons of marks during the years of darkness? I can hold my own, thank you very much," he added tartly.

Ignis smiled ruefully. "I keep forgetting—you are grown up from the kid who first teamed up with Noct all those years ago. Despite your actions to the contrary," he added dryly.

"Hey," Prompto began, just to be cut off when Ignis shoved the grappling hook into his hands.

"Gladio, Cor, the three of us will act as decoys on the ground," Ignis said commandingly. "If Ifrit starts something, Noct and Prompto are our reinforcements—in the event that they cannot give us advance warning."

"Works for me," Gladio said. "I'll take point."

Noct leapt to the buttes on the left, Prompto did the same on the right, and the remainder marched down the middle, into Ifrit's lair.

* * *

Iris sat on the barren beach, contemplating the water before her. She could see gray skies on the horizon, but it was hot and dry here. From what the others had said, everywhere else was gray and stormy right now. This might be the last time she saw the sun. She shook off that thought. From what Ravus and Luna had said, Noctis and the other fighters were off to take Ifrit down. If a storm raged here, that would indicate that they had been successful.

While she was sitting here doing nothing but being a liability. She should have run away from Ardyn as soon as he abducted her in Insomnia. She had been such a fool, thinking she could control the situation and help things. All she had done was become Ardyn's pawn, and spent her entire time as a stone statue. If Ardyn had decided to attack her stone form, or if Ifrit had taken hold of her, she had been utterly defenseless.

And even now, she was stuck here, while the others were fighting Ifrit. She needed to take him down—to make him pay for all he had done to her—and for all that he had planned to do. The others might not make him hurt enough.

She had to do something. She remembered Luna mentioning a flameproof tiara. If she had that, it would help her hold her own against him. All she needed was that and a weapon, and she could fight back. The others would try to stop her though, especially Ravus. He was, quite protective of her. While it was endearing, it was also frustrating.

She glanced surreptitiously at the rest of the party. Lux was skipping stones into the ocean, or trying to. The stones he was tossing just landed in the ocean with a plop and sank to the bottom. That didn't seem to bother him though.

Cindy decided to catch a tan. She was basking in the sun on a rock near Lux. As she had said, this might be the last time she saw weather like home for awhile, so had to make the best of it while she could.

Cid was napping in the airship—he said he was, "too old for this kind of heat" and rested in the shade. Holly and Talcott had wandered down the beach, partially due to boredom, and partially due to wanting to perform reconnaissance.

Luna was enduring a troubled sleep in the shade of the airship. She had fought to stay awake, insisting that she had to go help Noctis, but exhaustion had taken its toll. Iris knew it was because of her.

Aranea had, disappeared. She had been strangely silent after her confrontation with Ardyn. She had said that he told her he had had no idea that the petrification was so dangerous, and had professed to be on their side regarding Ifrit. She had also reported Ardyn's assertion that his petrification of Iris was a way of protecting her from Ifrit.

Iris would have thought it bullshit except that Aranea didn't seem to think that was the case, which was weird coming from her. At least Ardyn was gone too—even if he "claimed" to not have meant to hurt her, it still would have been too much to have had to deal with him.

Still, not knowing where he was was making her uneasy. Is that perhaps where Aranea had gone as well? She wondered if she should bring her concerns up to Ravus. He was currently being his overprotective self, sitting alertly near Luna in case of trouble, but also kept glancing down the beach to ensure Holly and Talcott were safe. He glanced Cindy and Lux's way pretty often too.

He was keeping an eye on her as well. She felt his changeable-colored gaze on her. Were his eyes gray, blue, violet? They appeared to change in the light or depending on what he was wearing. And why was she thinking of his eye color right now?

There was an, intensity, to his gaze that she could feel any time he glanced her way. It was as though he seemed to think that she was some kind of puzzle that he couldn't figure out. It was a, part puzzled, part intrigued gaze. She wanted to know which it was, but was too afraid to ask. Funny that, she thought. She had had no qualms about pestering Ardyn about "his type", but to do something similar to Ravus made her uneasy. It wasn't that she was afraid of him—she felt the safest with him than she had felt with anyone for a long time. She just felt, shy, around him, as well as a strange warmth in the pit of her stomach whenever she thought of him.

That, and the knowledge that his mouth had touched hers was enough to do her in completely. Of course, she knew it had been resuscitation for health reasons—and to feel anything for a rescuer under those circumstances was wrong. Was it misplaced gratitude for having saved her life that was making her feel this way for him? She had heard of patients falling in love with their nurses. Was this a warped form of that? All she knew was the knowledge that he had touched her mouth with his made her think of other ways he might, and what that would feel like. He seemed like such a cold man, yet she had seen warmth in him when he looked her way. Would a kiss from him be cold, perfunctory, or would it be warmer, smoldering?

She shook it off. She was too nervous to speak to him right now. And the last thing she needed was to embarrass herself by acting like a flustered preteen facing her first crush in front of him. She had already embarrassed herself enough by being a damsel in distress.

No more! She would find that tiara and a weapon, and help Noctis and Gladdy. She would show them that she could fight. She hadn't been a hunter for nothing. She glanced again warily to Ravus. For now, he was the one she'd have to circumvent if she planned on helping with Ifrit.

For the moment, luck was with her. Holly and Talcott had walked out of sight down the beach. Ravus had evidently figured they had wandered off too far and was headed down the beach to retrieve them.

Iris hurried to the supply trunks in the back of the airship. It didn't take too long to find a gun—a sniper rifle in fact, along with hollow point bullets. Iris gave a vengefully satisfied smirk—hollow points were said to hurt, and Ifrit needed to hurt. She could make do with this. Blowing Ifrit's head off without him even knowing what hit him had a certain charm to it.

Now she just needed Luna's tiara. Unfortunately, it was still on her head. Iris crept over to her slumbering form and, with a hesitant hand, gently slid the tiara off her head, doing her best to keep from pulling any of the flaxen blonde hair entangled in it, and placed the tiara in her pocket. Luna sighed and rolled over—the only sign of any disturbance to her sleep.

"Sorry, Luna. And thank you for everything," Iris whispered, then edged away to find a path up the cliff.

* * *

Ardyn retraced his steps in the desert, towards Ifrit's canyon. He figured that is where that fiend would run to ground. Ardyn didn't for the moment care if Noct and his crew were already there, or if they had gotten themselves lost in the desert. Taking Ifrit down was all he was focused on at the moment.

He was so focused on that that he forgot to watch his back. He saw the shadow of the weapon over his shoulder the second before the polearm descended like a gate right in front of him. He stopped, already knowing full well who had detained him.

"It is not every day that someone can sneak up on me," Ardyn commented. "Dare I hope that you are rethinking my, 'offer', Aranea," he added, voice rife with suggestion.

Aranea refused to blush. "All I'm rethinking is my decision to not beat the crap of you! Where do you think you're going?"

Ardyn gave a smug chuckle. "What does it matter? You couldn't stop me even if I _were_ up to something nefarious. I am afraid you are outclassed, Aranea." He all but crooned her name.

Aranea gritted her teeth. "I'm still good enough to be able to sneak up on you, it seems," she snapped back. "I will rephrase my question so that even an idiot like you can understand: what are you up to?"

"If anyone is an idiot here, it is you," Ardyn returned, matter-of-factly. "Who knows what horrors can be befalling our son while you are in this little tryst with me. What a caring mother _you_ are turning out to be," he added acidly.

How dare he think she was here for a renewal of his attentions? And to cast aspersions on her and her care of Lux was insufferable! She gasped with outrage, jerked forward, and slapped Ardyn across the face. She had caught him by surprise, simply because she had caught herself by surprise making that move in the first place. She had not even consciously planned it, let alone telegraphed a move that Ardyn could detect.

Ardyn gave his abused cheek a sidelong glance, attempting to see the damage, then stared back at her. Aranea could not gauge his expression and stood there, wary, tense, waiting to defend herself from retaliation.

But what could she really do? He was right—she was outclassed against someone like him. He was immortal after all. But she wasn't about to back down and let him get away with anything shady, either. She would be a thorn in his side, if nothing else. That didn't make waiting for him to strike back any easier though…

"Are you satisfied now," Ardyn drawled. "Or do you prefer more revenge against me for what I did to you earlier?"

Aranea blinked in surprise—he did not seem ready to hit her, or anything worse. "I, can't apologize for that," she finally stated boldly. "But I'm willing to overlook your, recent transgressions if you will tell me what the hell you're up to."

Ardyn gave a derisive smirk at her turn of phase. "Since you have decided I am such a villain—a depraved lecher, what is the point of explaining anything," he commented sarcastically, but with an edge of bitterness. "You will not believe anything I tell you. And I do not have the time or inclination to consort with you right now. Believe it or not, I have prior obligations than you." He stepped aside and resumed his march towards the canyon.

"You are going the wrong way! Luna is back the way we came if you want to kill her," Aranea taunted bitterly from behind him. "Or maybe your plan is to stab Noctis in the back. Tell me if I'm getting close," she continued sniping.

Ardyn halted, stiffened, whirled around, and gave Aranea a look that caused her to instinctively retreat a step. She had never seen him so furious—his face was pinched white. Aranea knew she had gone too far. He reminded her of a cornered animal—a dangerous beast that she had poked with a stick one too many times. Still, she had provoked him, and had to face the consequences. She swallowed hard, wondering what he would do to her.

Ardyn regained control of his temper. His face smoothed into his customary oiliness. A cold smile appeared on his face that was somehow more disturbing than the previous anger.

"Your faith in me never ceases to amaze me, Aranea," Ardyn said, oily as always. Only she could hear the hiss of deadly anger behind it. Had she really become that attuned to him or was this new? He stepped closer, idly fingering a dagger. Aranea knew it was the same one that had stabbed Luna in the past.

"Perhaps my plan was to lure you out here to catch you unawares," Ardyn continued, in the same affable, conversational voice. "I could slice you to ribbons right here and now, and nobody would be the wiser." His finger poked the tip of the dagger, drawing blood, and showing full well the dagger's deadliness.

She could imagine her own blood on that dagger. Ardyn would slit her throat with the same unwavering cold smile. Hating herself for showing weakness, but also realizing that sometimes retreat was the best option, she began backing away from him.

He strolled forward towards her, not rushing, knowing full well that he was faster and stronger when all was said and done. He could pounce whenever he wanted to. "It is so much easier to kill one's 'allies' one by one," he drawled affably. "Minimal resistance… no witnesses... an endless wilderness where no one would ever find you…."

Anger made sense to Aranea—a smarmy, urbane, affability as he said these horrible things was beyond her understanding. It was low, even for him. "I, always thought you were an, efficient, killer, Ardyn," she finally said, doing her best to keep her voice from shaking. "Doing something this drawn out and sadistic isn't your style."

"Oh, you know me so well, don't you, Aranea," Ardyn oozed. "That makes you a threat to me and my, 'nefarious plans' at the moment. I _should_ start my killing spree with you."

She had brought this on herself, Aranea realized with cold bitterness. She knew what he was, that she was nothing against him, and had still pushed him. That didn't make her any less afraid. "I am no threat to you," she replied briskly, in a desperate attempt to hide her fear. "You said it yourself. I am, outclassed against you." She added these words like she had just taken the worst-tasting medicine. "There is no way I can threaten you with anything!"

There! She had done what she had vowed never to do. She had admitted weakness, to Ardyn no less. Although to save her skin, she should be willing to use any weapon in her arsenal, even a sacrifice of pride. But to her warrior's mind she had just disgraced herself.

Ardyn blinked, surprised that she would admit weakness. His expression softened a bit—his deadly edge was blunted for the moment. "I wouldn't say that, Aranea," he finally replied, earnestly. "You _are_ a threat. You somewhat make me, regret, what I have done in the past. You, almost, make me wish I could have been, better."

Aranea stared back at him. Everything in his expression and words was genuine. And she didn't want to hear it. It made him, human, a man with regrets, not just the world-destroying villain she had written him off as. She already had experienced enough of his humanity—she didn't need to encounter any more. Especially since, if it was some kind of broken declaration of (by his warped standards) love, which she greatly feared it was, she could never reciprocate.

He shouldn't be wasting these emotions on someone like her. She had feelings for another, and even if she didn't, they were too different. He had set himself apart from everyone else long ago. There was no path that would guide him to anything other than loneliness and doomed hopes. She knew all this, rationally. However, the fact that he could still feel, whatever it was, for her still moved her. And it hurt.

"You have given us no cause to trust you. Prove me wrong: tell me you are doing something that will not result in more darkness or destruction," she begged him. All but entreated him. She was willing him to be, for once in all the time she had known him, "good." Despite the fact that she knew it would be useless, and that men like him did not respond to entreaties, she still tried.

"If I told you I am going to defeat the Infernian and save the world, would you believe me," he asked, hesitantly by his standards.

"I can't take your word for it," Aranea replied almost regretfully. "But if that is where you say you are going, I will go with you. Just to keep you on the straight and narrow," she added flippantly, shades of her old self.

Ardyn smirked. "Very well. Besides, it would be simply _fabulous_ to have an audience for when I slay the Infernian singlehandedly," he added, back to his regular smarmy arrogance.

After all of this, deflating arrogance was back in Aranea's comfort zone—even though she knew full well Ardyn was goading her. "Hah," the Aranea of old scoffed. "The only one who is administering the killing blow is me! That way I can be sure he's dead."

Ardyn smiled this time—not a smirk, but a true amused smile. "I wouldn't have it any other way, Aranea Highwind," he crooned, then offered his arm to her like a knight to his lady fair to lead her through the canyon.

She didn't, couldn't take it. To do so would make him think she cared about him in a way she never actually could. She knew where her affections lay—and those were with Ignis. Although, Ardyn could make her feel things, even if they were painful things. They claimed indifference was the true antithesis of affection, and she certainly was not indifferent to Ardyn. She was not attracted to him, either, but there were parts of him that she could respect—parts of him that earned her sympathy.

There were faint glimmers of the man he had once been—the man who had cared enough about others to voluntarily absorb daemons into himself to save the blighted world. But they were few and far between. If Aranea had to describe her feelings for Ardyn in one word, it would be regret. She regretted that he had become the man he had, and that his potential had been blighted. Whether it was due to circumstances or to his own choices did not matter—either was regrettable. She also regretted that she felt anything for him other than total hatred—he had brought darkness to the world and pain to those she cared about. But she still felt some level of, pity, for him. To say nothing of how they were intertwined due to Lux.

She shook her head. She wasn't some weak female who would soften at the sight of a broken man. There was no cuddly teddy bear that needed nurturing within him. There was a bear within him, but it was a vicious one. No, she knew him too well. She could not walk in front of him to the canyon—old habits died hard, and there was still the concern about backstabbing. She couldn't walk behind him either since he would have a head start if he decided to make a move. She settled on walking beside him. She would keep an eye on him, and keep him honest, or force him to be, if necessary.

* * *

 **And...now I feel bad for Ardyn. But he burnt his own bridges by what he did in the game, so I can't make things too happy for him now can I ;-) Anyway, thanks for reading and till next time.**


	58. Chapter 58: Herding Cats

**Hi Everyone! Looks like I have just enough stuff to send out on time ;-) I have been sick most of the week so have not been able to polish much of what I have done beyond this. Here's hoping I can shake this darned cold and be able to write more this weekend. Thanks to everyone who are still following along with the story, as well as to the new folks discovering it and adding to their follows/fave list :)**

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Ravus strode down the barren beach, silently cursing. It felt like herding cats with this group. If it wasn't the others resting and defenseless, it was Holly, Talcott, Ardyn, and Aranea running off. He had been torn regarding whom to pursue. He didn't trust Ardyn, but Aranea, Talcott, and Holly could also need assistance.

In the end he had been forced to choose Talcott and Holly. Ardyn and Aranea were seasoned fighters—assuming Ardyn wasn't planning on fighting _them_ at the moment. While Talcott had some combat ability, he was still young and experienced. If a foe appeared he might need help defending himself and Holly.

Ravus couldn't begrudge the resting ones—he knew what an ordeal it had been for them all. He was surprised Iris was awake. She should be sleeping deeply and recuperating after her injury. He wished she would sleep. She still needed the healing that sleep would give her. Instead, she had stayed wide-awake and began interrogating everyone about what had happened.

Iris never behaved as he expected her to, which was probably why he couldn't get her off his mind. He could read people very well—Luna had that skill as well and called it "empathy". It was fine for Luna to have inherited it from their mother—it was expected for the Oracle. However, that inheritance was absurd for a warrior like him. It just made him see people far too clearly while keeping his own emotional distance.

He wasn't infallible though. Ardyn had played him like sap in Gralea ten years ago. He had disguised himself as Noctis, and Ravus hadn't even noticed. It wasn't like Ravus couldn't see through it—he had in Altissia when Ardyn had dared to disguise himself as Gladio. Ravus's skills hadn't even kept him from being scammed by that gondolier in Altissia either, he thought with a flash of bitterness. He had really walked right into that one.

Although, to be fair to himself, in both cases he had been preoccupied with other things. Gralea had been falling to daemons, and Ravus had been so desperate to find Noctis and return his father's glaive to him that he had seen what he had wanted to see. And in Altissia he had been sick with worry about Iris, and reliving what had happened to Luna in that same location at the hands of the same man who now held Iris. He supposed with those stressors it was to be expected that his perceptions weren't all there.

Mercenary types like Aranea, and the shallow women at the Imperial Court did not require much skill to read. He knew their types all too well. Luna of course held no surprises for him anymore. Growing up with a genteel girl who still managed to sneak in to steal your toys when nobody was looking took away any guessing. Noctis would be in for it if he hadn't seen the "real Luna" yet, Ravus thought. He'd better not reject Luna for it, or he would have Ravus to answer to.

Ravus wondered if Gladio knew Iris's true self. A brother should. However, Ravus sincerely doubted it in this case—Gladio had the sensitivity of a barstool. He imagined how often Iris had been left out while Gladio was off having adventures with Noctis and his friends. Ravus could easily envision that—she would have said something like, "Ok, have fun Gladdy," in a bright voice, just to stare wistfully after him, wondering why she was left out.

Ravus shook his head—empathy again. He didn't want it. It made him know things about people that he didn't want to know, and would make him feel too much if he allowed it. His only respite was, as always, to keep himself cold, and aloof.

He was having a hard time doing this with Iris though. Just when Ravus thought he had her figured out, she would throw him a curve ball. Just like now instead of sleeping after her lengthy interrogation, she was keeping an eye on Lux and Cindy. It was not her place to protect them. It was his. She needed to protect herself.

He sighed. The simple fact was with Iris it wasn't as done and dusted as it was for others he had met. The term, "still waters run deep", came to his mind when thinking about her. Everyone else wrote her off as just "one of the guys". Even she seemed to encourage that thinking—floating under the radar with her affable passivity, swallowing her insecurities and giving short shrift to what she wanted so she wouldn't be a burden to anyone else.

She saw herself as someone on the sidelines. Yet she had drawn the dangerous attentions of Ifrit. She had managed to escape Ifrit's clutches on her own, and had managed to weather Ardyn on her own terms until the unavoidable petrification. She had even dealt with Claustra like a seasoned politician based on what he had heard. Iris was an intriguing mix of strength and will and vulnerability. She made him want to both match wills with her and protect her at the same time. It was an intriguing combination, and still managed to keep even someone like him guessing.

He wondered what she would be like if she was in love with someone. Would she be assertive, with the same bold attitude and defiance she had shown when holding her own against the enemy? Or would she be shy, never putting herself forward, and pining for someone who never noticed her? That thought brought him unexpected pain.

She was being shy now. He had caught her watching him when she thought he wasn't looking. Despite the bashful looks, her gaze was giving him signals.

He had weathered such looks from the giggling women at the imperial court in the past. He knew full well what the looks meant, and what the court ladies had wanted from him. They had simply wanted the challenge of catching someone as aloof as himself (he knew full well his emotional unavailability was seen as a flirting challenge to a certain type). Not to mention the cachet of dating a man with the power and prestige he had held.

He could have used his perception to best advantage, and given them what they wanted. He would have done it if he had been interested, but touching vapid women who wanted him just for his status was not worth the hassle. He certainly didn't want to make himself emotionally vulnerable to those shallow fools.

Iris's shy, fascinated glances were very different. Did she even know the impression she was giving off? It was subtle, not brazen like the court women's had been. He hoped it was not misplaced gratitude for having saved her life. As far as he was concerned, Luna had done all the work there. All he had done was given her mouth to mouth resuscitation. And put his mouth on hers. He had to concede that, even amid all of that, the feel of her against his mouth had been, enthralling.

He broke off that thought. He was a gentleman—and gentlemen did not think of such things under those circumstances. She had been unconscious and dying for Gods' sake. How could he even think of that? But the thought rose anyway. It had been as though touching her mouth had given him a taste of the missing pieces of her he didn't yet know about.

And those tidbits were tantalizing. If an innocent touch could do that, what would a, less innocent, one do? Even with the flameproof bracer on, his body still heated at the thought. He shoved that thought aside ruthlessly. He was a gentleman, he reminded himself, and now was not the time for thoughts like this. Especially since he had caught up with Holly and Talcott.

"Nice of you to meet us, Ravus," Holly commented affably. "We were just turning around. There is nothing but more wasteland up this way."

Ravus's lips thinned. "I could have told you that part," he scolded coldly. "You should have stayed closer to the base."

"Pshaw," Holly scoffed back. "Talcott here is a pretty damn good fighter if anything happened."

"Yeah! Who helped take down the Zu," Talcott returned. "I'm not a total puss."

Great, Ravus thought. Now he had offended them. "I wasn't suggesting that," Ravus returned tightly. "Even with your strength, there is still safety in numbers. Wandering too far from the rest of the party can be dangerous no matter how strong you are."

Holly sighed. "If there was anything off, you can bet your last gil that we'd have rushed back to camp."

"Assuming you could run faster than the foe," Ravus lectured. "Creatures that live in hot climates have to be fast given the scarcity of food around."

"Ah, no offense, Commander, but I think I know a bit more about creatures and their skills than you do. My combat skills depend on it, after all," Talcott commented.

Ravus raked his hand through his hair. No matter what he did, he still managed to come off as a scolding stick in the mud older brother. He was silent as he let the others lead the way back to camp so he could act as rear guard.

They returned without incident, which made him feel even more foolish.

Luna had awakened, and intercepted the returning party. "Please say one of you has my flame tiara," was her worried greeting.

Holly, Talcott, and Ravus looked at each other blankly, to Luna's increased concern.

Ravus glanced around, and his face hardened. "Where is Iris," he demanded.

The surprised and confused looks from the others told him a story he didn't want to hear.

Now Iris had run off too. He no longer wanted to kiss her. Now he wanted to petrify her himself!

* * *

Noctis warped along the rim of the canyon, ranging ahead while his allies strode cautiously through the gorge below. Prompto was doing his best to provide recon on the opposite rim, but grappling from rock to rock was much slower than warping.

What an asset warping was, Noctis thought bitterly. The powers of his bloodline. He glanced down at the Ring of the Lucii on his finger. A shard of the crystal was inside—he was wearing a piece of the ultimate enemy. He hadn't wanted to believe Leviathan-to believe that his ten years in the crystal world were just dark forces grooming him to dispose of someone that was in its path. But then he remembered the powers that the ring held—the power of Death, Holy, and Alterna. Those were not powers of light—in his experience, powers of light were healing and shielding ones like Luna had.

Light powers did not drain people's life forces, or radiate them with holy "light", or suck foes into another dimension as the Alterna spell did. Light powers did not blind a person for wanting to save his King either. How could Noctis have been such a fool? He had let the crystal play him like a fiddle—letting it suck him in in Gralea was just a way for the crystal to use the Alterna spell on him, take the form of Bahamut, lie to him for ten years, and in the end force him back out to dispose of an enemy and die in the process.

And the "real" Bahamut had even not told Noctis the whole truth. In the "Other" world, he had said again that the crystal was the source of light and wanted Noctis back. Bahamut had known the whole time that that was not the case. Why had he lied to him? The only reason that came to Noctis's mind was that Bahamut had wanted Noctis to destroy the crystal all along. He evidently regretted giving them their peaceful afterlife and decided to show them the "cracks" in reality to get them thinking about it, and making them want out. And given the discord between the rest of the Six, it was no wonder that not all cooperated with the plan. The fact that Noctis's theory made so much sense in relation to them pissed him off big time. He hated being used, and he was tired of the "Gods work in mysterious ways" bullshit.

Bahamut was just as untrustworthy as Ardyn. Why had Ardyn led Noctis to the crystal in the first place? And there was no doubt that he had—he had used Prompto as bait to get them there. What did Ardyn know about the crystal that he hadn't shared yet? And would he be willing to share that knowledge with them?

His father had done the right thing, getting the Ring out of town when the Empire attacked—could that be why the Empire hadn't been able to use it? Had Regis foiled the crystal's plan somehow by giving the ring to Luna to deliver to Noctis? He hoped that was so—he didn't want to give Ardyn any credit for the Empire's inability to use the crystal. He didn't want to think that his father's death had been for nothing. One of them deserved a meaningful death.

Noctis didn't want to die again. He didn't want to leave Luna, his friends, or even this world just yet. He wanted to live out his life as a normal man—to have a wife, children, and die at a ripe old age. Dying young for the sake of the world did not appeal. He shook his head. It's not like he had a choice in the matter. The crystal was responsible for the death of his father, the destruction of his kingdom, and everything that had happened after. It needed to pay, and Noctis was the only one who could make it pay. Even if he had to make himself a pawn of the Gods to do it.

He shook his head to clear it. One problem at a time. Once Ifrit was down, they had some breathing room until the crystal picked somebody else. There were no more Gods to choose from after that if nothing else.

And Noctis wasn't alone. He had more now than he had ever had. He had Luna, Ravus, even Ardyn (at some level) this time. It wasn't a true repeat of his last battle. With enough extra knowledge and allies, he had some hope. He would fight for his friends as they would for him. Well, Ardyn was the exception here—one could not call him a "friend". However, he did have knowledge that would help them. And even a tiny fraction of what he knew would help things, if he would deign to, or could be forced to, share it.

Noctis had to think that. He had to dredge up some hope or else he would go mad.

He glanced warily down the canyon. He had seen no threats yet which seemed weird. The cliché, "it's quiet, too quiet" swirled in his head.

He warped across the canyon to Prompto, who was scanning the gorge with a sniper sight on his gun.

"Watch it man," Prompto cried out as soon as Noctis materialized next to him. "I almost shot your ass!"

"Oh. Sorry," Noctis replied, flustered. He forgot that Prompto's fighter's instincts were not quite as honed as his. They were good, but having the blessings of the Gods and Royal Blood, despite what came with them, was still better. "Anything," he asked his ally.

"No. I'm seeing nothing but our buddies down there. I don't get it. You think Ifrit is too weak now or something?"

Noctis shrugged. "I have no idea. I don't like it. I will range ahead more. Keep an eye on the guys, will you?"

"You bet! We'll be right behind you," Prompto replied brightly.

Noctis warped forward down the canyon, a blur in the heat-filled air. Before he reached Ifrit, there was one more thing he had to do. He wrenched the Ring of the Lucii off his finger. He gritted his teeth with pain as the ring resisted, shredding the flesh of his finger as it moved. It grated against his fingernail with a viciousness that made him wince. Noctis gave the finally removed ring one last glance, then tossed it aside.

He watched the stab of light as it glinted in the desert sun until it rolled into the shadowy darkness of a narrow crevasse. It was irretrievable, and Noctis didn't care. It was an ugly ring anyway, and Noctis had always hated it. Letting it get eroded by stone and sand over time was a fitting end for it—the narrow crevasse a perfect vault for something that evil.

Now, feeling significantly less burdened, Noctis made his way forward, to Ifrit, and what lay beyond the battle.


	59. Chapter 59: Reinforcements (of a sort)

**Hey there! Had a writing binge last weekend, so have plenty more polished. This chapter is a little longer than usual since posting just one part would have been very very short-I thought longer rather than shorter was better. Hope you don't mind. Anyway, here goes and thanks as always for following along.**

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It was at times like this that she wished she had spent less time on target practice and more on physical combat, Iris thought regretfully. If she were better with polearms or daggers, she could have leapt to the mesa and what lay beyond just as the others had. Instead she was forced to get there the old-fashioned way.

And that way required a path up or through. And that was proving hard to come by. The cliffs and mesas fronting the beach were forming a huge wall, blocking the beach from the interior desert. How far would she have to go until she found a way through? At least the purloined tiara was helping—she was not feeling the heat at all. She felt a pang of guilt for having stolen from Luna. But then, Luna deserved a break, and wouldn't have taken one unless circumstances forced her to. It was Iris's turn to help Noctis for her.

She craned her neck towards the cliffs next to her. There was a deep shadow between the mesas. Was that her way through? The path to the shadow was rocky, and she had to slow her steps to get there. She winced as her shoes slipped against the unstable gravel. Falling on this stuff would hurt, she realized. She needed to be careful.

She reached where the shadow began, just to find that it was a short inset in the rocks—there was no way through here either.

"Damn it!" she blurted aloud, and stomped her foot in frustration. The disturbed pebbles at her feet rattled in protest.

"Is there some kind of problem, Iris," a cold voice spoke threateningly from behind her. She whirled around, sharply, just to see Ravus striding up the rocky path towards her, his movements graceful and purposeful.

He looked, pissed, Iris realized. His face was set, and his eyes (ice blue to match the desert sky) were glaring daggers at her. She would not let him drag her back, and from the look on his face, she knew he wanted to do just that.

He wouldn't understand what she was trying to do, and there was no time to argue. She turned and began to run, skirting the shadowy inset, feet grating on the pebbles as she made her way back towards the beach. If she could reach the sand again, she could run along it with less risk until she found another path through.

She just had to evade him until she could find a pathway up. Even with the heat resistance from the tiara, she was still not an endurance runner—she gasped in dry air as she ran, praying that she would not fall and twist her ankle. She had already been foolish enough on this "adventure"—she didn't need to cap it off by hurting herself and needing Ravus to catch up and carry her.

If he even would—he was a cold man, and may well decide to leave her to her fate to hold her accountable for her own idiocy. She shook off that thought. He was overprotective to a fault. All he would do if she fell was carry her back, and make her humiliation complete.

And being held by him while he was so angry, disturbed her. She had never seen him this angry before, and that plus physical contact was, unsettling. She was not afraid of him—she knew instinctively that he would never hurt her. It was more fear of the feelings of triumph that she had within herself that she had been able to penetrate his icy façade. Of the apprehensive fascination that she felt at the thought of him losing his cool, and what he would do to her if he did. She didn't want to think about what that meant.

She just needed to not fall—and to find a path up. It shouldn't be too difficult. She did have the advantage here, she realized. She had the flame tiara, she had a head start, had caught him by surprise by running, and he would be just as hampered by the rocks as she was. Perhaps even more so—she was smaller and more nimble on her feet—she had a chance here.

She risked a glance behind her to see how far behind Ravus was. She did not realize that he had a flame resistant bracer, and forgot that he had the grace and speed of a fencer. She gasped when she saw him right on her heels, and stiffened as his strong arm snaked around her waist to pull her towards him, turning her at the same time so that she faced him.

The two of them stopped, pressed together, feeling each other's chests touch as they breathed hard.

"What the hell are you doing," Ravus rasped, voice cold, deadly.

"I'm going to kill Ifrit," Iris stated, boldly, if breathlessly.

His grip on her waist tightened—she doubted he was even aware of it, even if she was fully aware of his strength. "No, you are not," he commented flatly, as though it were non-negotiable and a done deal.

"What! You think I can't do it," she demanded back. "I've been hunting since I was fifteen years old. Toss a coin in the air and I will put a bullet through it. I know how to fight!"

"Just because you can take down a beast or a daemon does not mean you can take down a God," Ravus lectured, voice tight with barely leashed control.

"Bullshit," Iris snapped back, and tried to pull away. He held firm though, causing her to tumble back against him.

"You are going back to the airship, and that is final," Ravus replied, coldly.

Iris's whole body clenched with frustration. He didn't get to tell her what to do. He didn't understand her, what drove her. Ifrit had abused her, threatened her. She would take him down with her own hands. She needed that closure.

"Fine," Iris sneered. "After all, little old fragile me isn't good enough to do anything except sit around as a defenseless stone pawn while Ardyn and Ifrit have their way with me. All I'm good for is sitting around knitting while the others fight my battles for me," she added bitterly.

"Is that what this is about," Ravus asked, anger diffused for the moment while curiosity took its place. "You are beating yourself up because Ardyn incapacitated you, and you think killing Ifrit will assuage your guilt over it? You are blameless, Iris. Noctis, Luna, and myself have all be victimized by him. There is no need to feel guilty for anything that has happened."

Iris bit her lip. He was too on the mark. Was she really that transparent? It just made her feel weaker, more fragile.

"I don't want to be a victim," she stated. "From the start that's all I've been. I let Ifrit imprison me, all but rape me, then allowed myself to become Ardyn's hostage. Me, a 'master hunter'," she said with a derisive sneer.

"You want closure. Don't you, Iris," Ravus replied gently, digesting the facts and drawing his own conclusions. "You won't be satisfied until you see for yourself that Ifrit is gone."

Iris stared at him, gaping. He _did_ understand her, more than she ever thought he would. And it made her feel—she didn't know. She felt like, leaning against him and sobbing in reaction to all the strain she had been under ever since she first met Ifrit. She refused to do that, so she reverted to bitter frustration instead. "I should have blown Ifrit's head off the moment I saw him—" she began, just to break off as Ravus put a gentle finger on her lips.

"Don't go there," he commanded gently. "Every warrior has that one battle they can't win, that one foe that they should have taken down but couldn't. If you focus on that, it will drive you mad. All you can do is move forward."

Iris turned away from his gentle, and admittedly tantalizing, touch. "I know! That's why I'm going to kill Ifrit now! I've spent my life being on the sidelines, watching my brother going off to battle, always offering to help him but being told he didn't need my help, or at best, just getting to toss potions around. Being told I'm not good enough."

"Gladio told you that," Ravus replied, ready to go and punch Gladio's face in for saying something like that to her.

"Well, no. But why else wouldn't he want me to come," Iris replied.

Ravus's shoulders slumped in relief. It seemed that Gladio may have some sensitivity after all. "A desire to protect his sister," Ravus countered. "Just like with me and Luna. I fought tooth and nail to keep her from assuming her destiny as Oracle, doing, things, I am not proud of, in an effort to save her from sickness and death. I even aided in the attack on Insomnia, and tried to claim the Ring of the Lucii for myself in a last-ditch effort to save her. Failing to save her in the end was the hardest thing I ever had to face, worse than any battle I had ever fought. I imagine Gladio feels the same way about you."

Iris thought about that for a moment. She rationally knew how protective Gladio was, but had always secretly thought he had not wanted her around on his adventures with Noct because he thought she wasn't good enough, or didn't want his kid sister around to infringe on the boys' playtime. It was not like she could ever confirm it with Gladio—he was not the type to ever talk about his feelings or why he did things. The thought that he kept her away because she wasn't good enough had festered within her, driving her to abhor her own weakness.

To have somebody else objectively consider the protectiveness angle—especially someone who knew firsthand how brothers think caused some shards to break off of the ice-cold bitterness she had always inwardly held, and made her feel a little better about herself.

"Do, you really think, Gladio wants to protect me," she asked, desperate for reassurance.

Ravus nodded. "I have never been more sure of that in my life," he replied. "And I know for a fact that lack of fighting ability has nothing to do with it. I have no doubt that you are an unparalleled fighter."

Iris gave a fragile smile at that. "Don't patronize me, Ravus. You've never seen me in battle to know for sure."

"I know you are brave enough to stand up to Ifrit. You have already done that, successfully escaped from him, and even now are willing to continue standing up to him. It takes a special kind of bravery to stand up to a God. And only strong fighters are that brave."

"Brave, or foolish," she countered, playing devil's advocate.

"Let's find out," Ravus replied with a challenging lift to his eyebrow. "If you are really serious about taking down Ifrit, then I will go with you. We will give you your closure, and take him down together."

"You, would do that, for me—er, with me," Iris replied, breathlessly.

"Why not? I have flame armor too. We might as well make the most of it," he said, prosaically.

Iris opened her mouth to say thank you, but then realized how insufficient it was. Without even thinking and just acting on emotion and instinct, she stood on tiptoe, and kissed him. He stiffened in surprise for a moment, but let her kiss him, his mouth warm against her own-warmth that she could feel even through the flame armor. Who would have thought such a cold man could be so warm, she thought, dazed. Then she realized what she was doing.

She broke away, flustered. "I'm sorry," she gasped out. "I, know how revolting unwanted kisses can be. I, shouldn't have…"

He didn't let her finish. His arm tightened around her waist, pulling her fully against him, and his mouth crashed down on hers with a volcanic force that made her gasp. He deepened the kiss, making the kiss she had given him seem like nothing more than a chaste peck in comparison.

She gave up trying to compare or to reason it out. Her rational mind fled as she put her arms around him, to hold herself steady, to hold him. He kissed her, lengthily, thoroughly, before breaking the kiss gradually, but gently.

"Do you still think the kiss was unwanted," he asked, voice low, sultry.

Iris had nothing to say, but all she had wanted to say was already in that kiss.

"Uh, Ifrit," she finally got out, feeling like an idiot.

He snapped back to attention. "I think I can get us over this cliff if you are willing to hold onto me," he said, back to business.

"I think I can manage that," she said, dryly, putting her arms around him again.

It looked for one moment like he was going to kiss her again, but he kept his sanity. "Hold on tight," he ordered, putting both arms around her in a tight grasp, bending his knees, then leaping up.

Iris closed her eyes as the ground beneath her receded, feeling nothing but the strength of his body and the rush of air around them. When she opened her eyes again, they were on the cliffs above.

Ravus scanned the desert on the other side, and his eyes narrowed on two figures making their way towards the buttes in the hazy distance. He could make out the swishing cloaks on one of them—evidently one was Ardyn.

"We go that way," was all he said, putting his arms around Iris again to jump down the other side of the cliffs and into the desert.

* * *

Luna had not wanted to stay behind while Ravus stormed after Iris, muttering dire things about how he would carry Iris back if he had to. However, she knew her brother, and she knew the inevitable arguments that would follow if she dared offer to go with him about how it was too dangerous, etc, etc. While she could have countered them eventually, she was in no mood for it.

And it's not like Iris needed a chaperone. For all of Ravus's harsh mutterings, Luna knew he would never hurt Iris. And Iris could handle him on her own just fine. Luna gave a slight smile. Those two needed to talk alone, anyway. She had seen their reactions to each other. There were lots of things unsaid between them. Luna had to hope her brother was sensible enough to see it for himself and make something of it. But, knowing him, he would probably be straight business, and would end up returning hand-in-hand with Iris to ensure she came back safely.

However, she knew Iris too—she could guess why she ran off. She wanted her own slice of vengeance against Ifrit—taking the tiara attested to that. Luna hoped she would succeed. She deserved that after all that Ifrit had done to her. Luna knew the logical and safe thing was for Iris to stay out of harm's way, but when emotions were engaged, all of that got thrown out the window.

Just as logically, Luna should stay here by the airship with the others. Without the tiara's heat resistance, she would enter the fray with a handicap. But she wasn't going to sit out. The man she loved—her husband, despite the fact that it wasn't acknowledged in this world, was out there in battle. There were no healers with him. What would happen if he managed to get hurt? What if Noctis was lying there on the desert pavement, bleeding out from a wound? No! Not on her watch. She had weathered the worst the Six had to offer even without elemental resistance. She could handle this.

She scanned the cliffs above with misgivings. Climbing over the mesa was the only way into the desert, and she didn't have the leaping skills required. Would her "Float" ability do it, she wondered. It was more designed to keep you a foot or so off the ground to make you immune to earth-based ground attacks. How draining would it be to attempt reaching a greater height from it?

"I shoulda just dumped you on top of the cliffs with the rest of 'em when we arrived," Cid commented, awake from his nap and evidently already guessing what she had in mind.

"But then, Iris—we went over that," Luna replied.

"Yep. That's true, I reckon. But now that Iris is settled, it's keepin' you from your man. And with our barcode man off fightin', I don't have a way to git the airship goin'. I knew we shoulda spent the extra time in Altissia gittin' the ignition switch figgered out, but would any of the young turks listen to me? And how are we supposed to git out if somethin' happens to Prompto, that's what I wanna know."

Luna knew it was a rhetorical question. They had all agreed that it was basically a one-way trip in which failure wasn't an option. If Prompto fell, it would mean the others had too, and there was no hope for any of them. And the time it would have taken to figure out the ignition switch would have taken too long. Even now they had almost been too late to rescue Iris—if they had spent more time trying to get the ignition fixed, Iris would be dead.

"That's why I need to get to them," Luna replied decisively. "I will be sure that Prompto and all the others, come back safely."

Cid smiled. "I figgered you would, little missy, but that still don't solve the cliff issue, don't it?"

"Would warping help," Lux asked tentatively.

Luna glanced his way. "It would work perfectly, but anyone with those abilities isn't here," she replied regretfully.

"I can," Lux replied as though stating a fact.

Cid and Luna's heads slewed towards him. Lux blushed at the sudden attention. "I mean, I'm not as good as Noctis is at it, but I can get around a little bit. There was a, fire, in Galdin Quay when I was there. I, was able to get a bunch of the people out that way."

Luna couldn't ask this of him—to do so would put in him in danger, and he was just a child. Aranea would kill Luna herself if she got Lux to help her. But, what choice did she have? Maybe he could get her over the mesa then he could hurry back to base while she went forward. That would keep him out of danger while keeping her from being trapped here.

"Do you think you could, get me over the mesa," Luna asked him tentatively.

Lux looked back up at the mesa. It was a pretty big distance—more than he had had to deal with in Galdin Quay. Could he do it, combined with the weight of a grown woman? Luna was looking at him with such hope in her gaze that he could not dash them. She needed to be out there with them, fighting Ifrit. He couldn't do much in this battle, he knew, but the least he could do was this.

He met her gaze confidently. "Yes, I can," he stated.

Luna's look of relief and gratitude made his promise worth it.

Cid, however, wasn't as optimistic. He scanned the distance, Lux's slight frame, and Luna's full size dubiously.

"He may be able to make it, but I'm not so sure if he can get you both up there," Cid finally said. "Nothin' personal, kid, but you're probably 70 pounds soaking wet. Not sure how well a lightweight like you can handle a 110 pounder like Luna."

Luna felt a flash of embarrassment. Evidently Cid didn't understand that it was tactless to bandy peoples' weights around. And besides, she was 104 pounds last time she checked—she shook off that bit of trite vanity. He did have a point. Lux would have to warp with the weight of a rock (ie her). If he failed, the results would be disastrous for them both. Except she had the float spell too…

"Combined with my Float spell maybe we have a chance," she replied. "It will make me lighter, and I can use it to supplement so that if something happens to us I can keep us from falling too quickly."

"That makes more sense to me than relying on a boy to hold ya up," Cid conceded. "I'm fine with that plan if you are."

Lux bit his lip at Cid's offhand insults. "I may be a lightweight and a boy now, but that will change," he said defiantly, and held his arms out so that Luna could grab him.

Cid gave a raspy chuckle. "Shore it will, little man, just doesn't help us now. Now get along with ya. I'd say be careful, but I'm guessin' you two already know that."

And with Cid's blessing, so to speak, Luna put her arms around Lux.

"Sorry I need to keep my grip tight," she said apologetically, "but I do need to hold onto you. I don't have cooties or anything, you know."

"Well, duh," Lux replied. "And I hope you hold on for dear life because, I'm still not 100 percent sure I can do this," he added, a twinge of apology in his tone.

"Don't worry," Luna replied brightly. "Worst case, I float us back down. You ready?"

"Ok. Here goes," Lux said, tensing his whole body. He and Luna were off like a shot to reach the mesa, edge. Luna's float and Lux's warp made a seamless combination that worked perfectly. They made it, landing inches from the edge.

Luna immediately released Lux, terminated the float spell, and made her way further from the edge. That was a mistake. The mesa edge, undercut by years of sand erosion, didn't like the sudden influx of extra weight it had been burdened with. The crumbling sound was their only warning. One minute Lux was standing there catching his breath, the next he was screaming as the rocks gave way from beneath him, making him fall to his death.

Not on Luna's watch. She immediately radiated white light in his direction. The falling rocks, as well as he, stopped their plummet. Lux looked around him in amazement. It was as though he were temporarily levitated in space amid a field of asteroids. He scanned the red rocks hovering around him, unable to succumb to gravity due to Luna's spell. His temporary stasis stopped. He floated back up, along with some of the rocks, to land gently next to Luna. As soon as he was down, Luna turned her direction to the falling rocks to be sure they did the same. Cid and the others didn't need to be plagued by a rock fall.

Deed done, she turned sharply to Lux. "Are you ok," she demanded, scanning him for injuries, fixating on his ankle. He looked down to see blood. The rock he was standing on had gouged his ankle when it gave way, and he hadn't even felt it.

"Oh," was all he said, before he plopped down on the the mesa in sudden shock and reaction.

"Put your head between your knees and take deep breaths," Luna ordered. "I will heal you—just give me a minute."

Her healing touch grazed his leg, at first causing him to wince at the sudden pressure on his wound, but gradually, the pain subsided. He felt the coldness of the oozing blood stop, being replaced with gentle warmth. The deep breaths helped too, calming him down after a few minutes.

"Better," Luna asked after the wound was sealed up.

"I'll say," Lux replied. "We have to get you to the guys. I'll get you there. I will do better next time, I promise."

Luna looked at him, appalled. "You did great the first time. It wasn't you. It was the damned mesa giving way. Do you think you can get back to the ship?"

"Yeah, but I still need to get you down the other side," Lux stated.

"I'll rely on my float spell. Given that I was able to handle those rocks, I should be able to manage from here."

Lux looked crestfallen. "Yeah, I suppose so. That was, awesome! Everything was like, floating for a minute. It was really cool, except for the almost dying part."

Luna smiled. "I'm just glad you're ok. You take care of the others, ok?"

Lux swallowed and nodded, and with that, Luna reached the other edge of the mesa, pointed her palms down, and summoned the float light once more. She glided forward on air over the edge. She tensed a minute at the strange feeling of having nothing but 200 feet of air beneath her, but kept her focus. She managed to gently lower herself down the other side without incident.

She saw the flash in the corner of her eye, and glanced over sharply, just to see Lux emerge from his warp and land right beside her.

"What are you doing," she demanded sharply. "You should be going back to base! I can handle it from here."

Lux ducked his head sheepishly. "It occurs to me that if you have to waste all your mana, magic, er, stuff, on floating the whole way, you won't have anything left to help Noct and the guys with. I can come with you and take care of that so you can save your energy for healing, or fighting."

Luna shook her head sadly. "I can't ask you to do that. It is too dangerous."

Lux met her gaze for the first time that she could remember—he tended to keep his eyes downcast towards almost everyone. His eyes were golden. He had inherited Ardyn's eyes, she realized in passing.

"I'm damned good at running and hiding," Lux replied with warped pride. "I won't let the bad guys get me. They can't hit what they can't see or catch after all. As Ignis said, you only win a fight if you can walk away after. And I can help you help them to do that. I'm going," he concluded with a decisiveness and maturity that Luna had never heard from someone so young.

Save herself, that is. She remembered full well what she had faced at his age—the knowledge that she was the Oracle and had to heal the world or die trying. Lux had been through much the same, if not worse. She could not protect him as she would any other kid. Fate had seen to that, taking away any normal childhood he might have had.

If they made it through, she would have the same choice with her own child, she thought. If all went well and she married Noctis for real (and he still wanted to marry her) she would be the mother of the next King or Queen of Lucis. Would she be able to give them a normal childhood, or would they be forced into the same mold?

She shook her head to clear it—all of this assumed they could save the world in the first place. And she would never raise a child in a world forsaken by the Gods. For now, with Lux, she knew she had no choice.

She sighed. "Aranea will have my head for this," she said regretfully.

Lux bit his lip. "I, will take the blame from both Aranea and Ignis," Lux added, but with a twinge of fear.

Luna could almost laugh. Lux was brave enough to face foes with a defiant confidence, but was still scared of what his "parents" would say.

"We'll face them together," Luna promised, and made her way forward.

"Um, hold up," Lux said, uncertainly. "The desert is pretty big. How do we know which way to go?"

"The footprints will guide us," Luna stated, pointing to the series of imprints in the sand as far as the eye could see.

"Oh. Then we need to be careful not to trample them then," Lux stated. The two made their way forward into the desert.

* * *

 **The Float spell is a relic from Final Fantasy 4. It was worth its weight in gold in that game, but I don't remember it even being a thing in the other installments. But Luna is a white mage, so I assume she would have it on her spell list. Hope you don't mind me taking liberties with the magic here :-) Anyways! Till next time!**


	60. Chapter 60: Snipers and Swords

**Hey there! Got more ready for ya! Hope you enjoy and for those of you following (or binging on) 60 chapters and counting, you have my profound thanks.**

* * *

Now Ignis knew the feeling of having the walls closing in around you. The high, sheer canyon walls pushed so close on either side that he was feeling claustrophobic. He inwardly shook his head at his own space cushion requirements—the canyon was plenty wide, wide enough for him, Cor, and Gladio to walk side by side with plenty of room to spare. It still only gave them two directions to maneuver in if they were attacked though, which could corner them all too easily.

Cor was scanning the path ahead, and Gladio was scanning upwards, evidently looking for Noct and Prompto. The walls were too sheer to allow for that, and the glare of the afternoon sun made the sun/shadow contrast of the rock walls too much.

Ignis was busy scanning behind them for threats, which prepared him for when he heard the clattering of rocks in the direction they came from. He stiffened, and grabbed Gladio and Cor's shoulders.

"Behind us," he ground out, face and body tense as he drew his daggers to face the approaching threat. His allies followed suit, leaving them all with sharp blades drawn against—Aranea and Ardyn?

"What the hell are you doing here," Gladio demanded to the changes in the status quo.

Ardyn smirked, and said brightly, "well, I was in the neighborhood, so I figured I would see if you had been defeated by the Infernian yet. I even brought a, 'date' with me for the event," he concluded with a taunting look to Aranea.

Aranea sighed in disgust. "He says he wants to help in the fight against Ifrit, and I came along to make sure that is _all_ he wants to do," she said tightly, cutting around any of Ardyn's taunts.

Ardyn sighed. "You're no fun, Aranea. But since the cat is out of the bag, so to speak, that is my plan." He concluded his speech with folding his arms challengingly, daring them to contradict him.

Everyone ignored him. Ignis was scanning Aranea up and down. Even after all that Ardyn had said and done to her, he couldn't make her blush. Ignis's intense gaze on the other hand—she felt her entire body begin to smolder. This wouldn't do at all.

"You don't have any flame armor pieces I see," Ignis finally said.

Aranea suddenly remembered that little tidbit. No wonder she was so hot! It was nothing to do with Ignis, she decided, even though she inwardly knew that it totally was. She refused to let it fluster her though. "Even so, the more soldiers you have in a fight, the better off you are," she replied prosaically. "I can also focus on preventing 'friendly fire'," she added, with a pointed look to Ardyn.

Ardyn ignored her, more interested in the others. "Flame armor, you say? How did you get your hands on that," he asked in genuine interest.

"While you were tormenting my sister, Cor here helped Noct and Luna take down Amaterasu—she gave them the armor after they defeated her," Gladio replied tersely.

"Tormenting Iris," Ardyn replied with wounded dignity. "I believe I actually did her a favor. Seeing as how he (I assume past tense from your tale) treated the Flame Damsel, how do you think your darling sister would have fared if she were in her soft fleshy form when we arrived?"

Gladio started forward, ready to attack him, but Cor interceded.

"You know about Amaterasu," Cor demanded, appalled. "You knew, had Ifrit in your pocket, and you _still_ did nothing to help her?"

Ardyn sighed. "I knew it as a myth, yes. The walls of the Shrine in Ravataugh are infested with that story. Anyone seeking the blessings of the Six had to go through there, and could not help seeing it. I did not know there was any truth to it, aside from the fact that Ifrit's behavior in that tale is part and parcel of how he truly behaves. I never had the, pleasure, of meeting the Flame Damsel in the flesh, and knowing that she actually existed. Take that as you will," Ardyn concluded.

Cor and Gladio were forced to back off. Ardyn's answer was, logical. Furthermore, if he had known of her existence, then he would have had the Empire try to harness her powers, which Noct and crew would have then known about.

Ignis was continuing to regard Aranea. "Please, go back to Iris and Lux," he demanded. "They need all the protection they can get right now."

"Tried that, didn't work," Ardyn taunted, just to be ignored as Aranea gasped in offense at Ignis's order.

"Don't you try to guilt me, Ignis Scientia," Aranea spat back. "The only way I can save them is by taking care of the threat at its source. I may not be as 'strong' as you like, but I'm not going to leave you to get your chivalrous well-toned ass handed to you by Ifrit. I can either go with you now or follow you anyway," she replied with a defiant glare, face pugnaciously forward.

Ignis couldn't keep a straight face at her tirade. "I wasn't aware I had a, well-toned ass," he replied with a smirk.

" _That's_ what you are focusing on," Aranea blustered in response. "We have a fire god to take down," she concluded, striding past the whole group to lead the way through the canyon.

"You brought it up," Ignis murmured smoothly as she passed him. He wasn't about to let her lead the group into danger without flame armor, and moved to catch up with her, just to be detained by Ardyn.

"A word, if you please, 'Iggy'," Ardyn asked conversationally. Ignis sighed in resignation to hear what Ardyn would have to say. To his relief, he saw Gladio and Cor step up to walk side by side with Aranea.

"From a gentleman who has, been there before, with regard to the fairer sex," Ardyn began, "allow me to grant you a bit of friendly advice. Aranea, is not the kind of woman to appreciate chivalry. She will merely feel hemmed in by it. Treat her as an equal and with respect, and you will fare much better."

Ignis gave him a level stare. "You are offering relationship advice now," he commented, deadpan.

"Why not? I _am_ the most senior person here. You would do well to listen to me, unless you want to lose her eventually."

Ignis's gaze sharpened. "Is that a threat?"

"Of course not," Ardyn replied with alacrity. "I would take her in a heartbeat if she turned to me, but she never will. She has thrown in her lot with you. I'm not sure what she sees in you over me, dear boy, but the fact of the matter is she cares for you. Do your best to be worthy of it." And before Ignis could come up with a reply, Ardyn sashayed ahead to form ranks next to Cor.

Ignis was again left guarding the rear, digesting what Ardyn had had to say in spite of himself.

* * *

"You should go with them," Iris told Ravus for seemingly the millionth time. Instead of catching up with Ardyn and Aranea and risking the canyon, Iris had figured it made more sense to follow along the canyon rim. With her sniper rifle, she could provide better cover from up here than she could down in the combat zone.

"We've been over this, Iris. I am not going anywhere," Ravus replied matter-of-factly.

"But, you have the fire armor, and can do better in melee. You are wasted up here."

"Every sniper needs a spotter," Ravus replied coolly. "Face it, you are stuck with me."

Iris sighed. "Ok. But, promise me that if we see the others overwhelmed and in danger, you will go down to help them."

"Fair enough. Here's another gap we need to cross," Ravus commented, pointing out the wide fissure before them.

Iris climbed into his arms with no reservations and let him hold her as he jumped across, landing on the other side with a graceful crouch without letting Iris go.

"You are, good at this," Iris commented breathlessly. "Are you used to carrying women around?"

"Not like this," Ravus replied brusquely.

"Oh, but you have carried women in other ways," Iris asked teasingly.

"Not romantically, if that's what you mean," Ravus replied with a smirk, easily deciphering her innuendo.

"What made you think I meant that," Iris asked defensively, but with a coy edge that she couldn't hide, especially from someone like him.

"Perhaps it's wishful thinking on my part," Ravus replied, a low suggestion in his tone that made Iris warm all over.

Iris couldn't let it go though. "How do you mean, 'romantically'," she asked, in genuine curiosity.

There was a gleam of hot mischief in Ravus's gaze. "I prefer to show versus tell," Ravus replied tauntingly. "When our time is our own, I will show you, I promise."

Damn it! Now Iris wanted to throw herself into his arms right then and there. But there was no time for that. Just one more thing she could hate Ifrit for. She strode forward, ready to end all this, and start all over with Ravus.

* * *

The canyon was evidently keyhole-shaped. And Noctis had reached the end of it. From his vantage point on the rim, he was able to look down into the circular space where the canyon terminated. In the second it took to register that Ifrit was indeed there, he was forced to dodge as a fireball streamed directly towards him.

Then felt like kicking himself. If Noctis was truly flameproof, he could let it hit him straight on. Old habits died hard.

"Come on down, King," Ifrit sneered, waving off the smoke from his hand.

There was no help for it, and no way Noctis could sneak up if he tried. He warped down to stand before the Infernian.

Ifrit was seated on a rock throne, arrogantly presiding over his sham of a kingdom. He was bouncing Agneya on his knee, making her laugh.

This put a new spin on things. How the hell was Noctis supposed to attack him with a baby right here?

Ifrit evidently knew the conundrum. He put his arm around Agneya, hugging her to his chest. Agneya thought it was great fun, a hug from her dad. Noctis knew differently. Ifrit was using her as a shield.

"How is fatherhood treating you," Noctis asked affably, biding his time until he could think of what to do.

Ifrit smirked derisively at Noctis's pointless attempt to stall. "Quite well, as you can see," he replied coldly, holding Agneya even tighter. She whimpered a moment, startled by the sudden painful grip, then began to cry. Ifrit absently patted her in an almost subconscious attempt to soothe, even as he glared at Noctis.

"At least I have an heir to my throne," Ifrit jibed. "Unlike you. Unless you have found a chance to knock up the Oracle when I wasn't looking."

Noctis's hands clenched into fists, instinct to stab Ifrit right here and now foremost in his mind. However, he knew Ifrit was seeking to goad him. He needed to keep his cool, and not let Ifrit get to him.

"What happens between me and my wife is our business," Noctis replied coldly. "And having an heir or not does not make one's claim to the throne more legitimate than another's."

Ifrit laughed derisively. "But it does! Who wants to follow a King who will die and leave a power vacuum in a few years?"

"I never thought I'd be discussing the definition of royalty with you, Ifrit," Noctis commented dryly. "Even Ardyn is more knowledgeable on this subject than you."

Ifrit hissed, reared back, and used his spare hand (the hand not holding Agneya), to launch another fireball at Noctis.

"How dare you mention that oily rag pile to me," Ifrit hollered out.

Noctis smirked coldly, grimly satisfied that he had drawn first blood in their verbal duel. He overcame his instinct to dodge the fireball and stood his ground as the flames approached. This was the true test, he realized. If they were wrong, and he in fact needed the whole set of flame armor to withstand this, then he was totally screwed. But he had to know now, or else they were all screwed in this battle anyway.

The flames blasted him in the torso, just to pass through him, keeping their full momentum as they scorched the rocks behind him. Noctis was unscathed.

Ifrit's eyes narrowed. "You have flame resistance," he observed.

"Uh huh. After all you did to her, Amaterasu ended up helping humans anyway. How does it feel to know that your prisoner defied you in the end," Noctis demanded scathingly. "How can you dare call yourself a God when all you have done is stolen? You stole your daughter just as you stole Rubicant's armor, and Amaterasu's freedom. What kind of father do you call yourself as you sit there using your daughter as a shield? Why don't you let her go and face me as a man?"

Ifrit leapt up, still refusing to relinquish Agneya. He lashed out with his other hand, ready to strike Noctis into oblivion. "You may be resistant to fire now, but my superior strength will still kill you," he yelled with a voice the echoed around the chamber, distorting it until it became a reverberating scream.

Noctis was forced to leap aside to escape Ifrit's grasp. Ifrit struck the rocks, causing the scorched wall behind Noctis to give way in a sudden rock slide.

Noctis righted himself, drew his sword, and lunged towards Ifrit's exposed thigh. Ifrit was faster. Just as Noctis's sword closed in, Ifrit shuffled Agneya into his path. Noctis was almost too late. He registered Ifrit's trick when his sword was just inches from Agneya's tiny heart. He dropped his sword on the ground in a last-ditch (successful) attempt to spare her, then rolled aside, hitting the ground with a jarring thud. He had the wind temporarily knocked out of him, and by the time he righted himself, Ifrit was standing over him, Noctis's sword between his thumb and forefinger, poised to impale Noctis through the heart.

Ifrit gave a feral grin. "Kings need to know when to make the sacrifices," he mocked, a shadow of the advice he had given Lux so long ago. "If you are too weak to make the sacrifice, you die."

Noctis prepared to warp out of the way, but Ifrit blocked it, instead impaling Noctis through the thigh, pinning him to the ground like a preserved butterfly. Noctis hissed at the pain and the sudden upwelling of blood, but refused to cry out. He would not give this son of a bitch the satisfaction.

Ifrit chuckled, and reached down to strip the flameproof chest plate from Noctis's body.

* * *

Iris and Ravus kept pace with the party from above. They knew Ifrit was close now, and that it was time for caution. Any conversation stopped as they made their way tensely and silently forward. It was Iris who saw the glint between two rocks 300 yards ahead of them. She stiffened as she clutched Ravus's arm to get his attention.

He had been glancing at the party below to make sure they were ok.

"Over there," she whispered, pointing towards the metallic glint. They could not be caught unawares here. She lay down, sniper-scope forward, and used its telescopic vision to scan the anomaly. It took her a moment to register that it was a sniper rifle also pointed in her direction before she heard the shot.

Ravus reacted quickly, grabbing her and yanking her aside a split second before the bullet hit. They tumbled onto the rocky ground, Ravus first, with a jarring force to land in the shelter of some boulders. The deadly force of the bullet hit the rocks behind them instead, spewing a shower of pebbles in all directions.

"Are you all right," Ravus demanded sharply, running his hands urgently down Iris's body to make sure she wasn't bleeding or wounded.

"I'm fine. And you," Iris replied shakily. She told herself it was reaction from having been nearly shot, but even thinking it, she knew she was lying. It was all due to Ravus's intimate touch and being pressed full-length against him.

"I am undamaged," Ravus stated. His eyes met hers, and a flash of awareness prickled between them.

"We're being shot at," Iris exclaimed, suddenly returning to reality. She rolled off of Ravus then leaned around the corner of the boulders, sniper-scope first, to see what they were dealing with.

She saw a figure clambering towards them, rifle pointing towards the sky with a white sock hanging over the barrel. Once he cleared the shadows of the late-afternoon sun, Iris could easily identify him.

"OMG! I am so sorry," Prompto exclaimed in a panicked rush as soon as he was within earshot. "I thought you were a monster or something! Please say neither of you are hurt," he concluded, scanning Iris and Ravus (who had come to stand protectively beside her) frantically, looking for injuries.

"Oh wait," Prompto continued speaking, rummaging through his bag. "I think I have some potions in here," he said, floundering, hands still shaking in evident panic.

"We are ok Prompto," Iris said bracingly. "Ravus knocked us both aside. We are fine."

"Are you sure," Prompto demanded, needing reassurance.

"If you had hit us, we would be dead right now," Ravus replied. "You are damned good shot."

"I should have known monsters wouldn't have a gun, but I saw the glint and I thought…"

"It's ok, Prompto," Iris reassured again. "I was just about to do the same thing to you."

Prompto mopped his brow with relief. "Man! I'd probably be dead myself if you'd done that," he replied. "What's going on? You ok after the whole, stone, thing?"

"Luna and Ravus healed me. It's all good," Iris replied calmly. "I'm going on to kill Ifrit."

"Man oh man! Gladio will have a fit if he sees you there."

"He won't. I will take point from a distance away."

"And I will protect her," Ravus countered. "If Gladio has anything to say about it, he's welcome to bring it up with me." The threat in his tone was obvious, even to Prompto.

He looked from one to the other.

"Ooooh. I get it. Um ok then. Since you are taking point and all from up here, how about I catch up with the others and give them backup? Then you can cover us from up here."

"I can do that," Iris replied. "And, don't tell Gladio I'm up here. If you guys don't know I'm here, then there's less of a chance Ifrit will find out. If my cover is blown, we're screwed."

"Good point, but I think once I go down there, they will wonder why I'm not covering them anymore."

Iris sighed. "You're right. If they ask, you can say why. Just, make sure they don't mention it in battle. Even I know that if Ifrit faces me straight on I'm useless. All I can do is snipe from a safe distance," she added in resigned regret.

"Hey gurl, don't mock it! Ranged attacks are totally the bomb. I'd do it if I could, but two snipers are kinda redundant. Ok. I'm off! So glad I didn't kill you," Prompto said brightly as way of farewell, then sprinted off to join the ground crew.

"I'm glad you did not kill us, either," Ravus muttered dryly, then he and Iris continued down the canyon rim.


	61. Chapter 61: The Fight Is On

**Happy November everyone! A new month, a new chapter. Here goes, and thanks as always.**

* * *

"Prompto saw something," Ignis said sharply, hearing the report of the shot.

"Should we help him," Aranea asked, just as sharply. "I can leap up to the cliffs and help him out."

"So nice of you to care for the Little Gunman over the Chosen King," Ardyn mocked.

They didn't hear any more shots. "Either Prompto got the foe or the foe got him," Cor commented, tensely.

Despite the urgency, they stood around in tense silence, looking around, trying to figure out what to do. They eventually heard the clatter of rocks and the rasp of a rope, then saw a figure emerge from the long shadows of the cliff walls around them.

"Prompto! Are you ok," Aranea demanded. "We heard a shot."

"Er well, about that. I, ah, shot at what I thought was a monster but it wasn't. I, ah, missed it, but figured now was as good a time as any to rejoin you guys," Prompto replied.

Ignis looked at him suspiciously. "What are you hiding," he demanded coolly, eyebrow raised in challenge.

"Er, nothing," Prompto replied, but with a tell-tale blush.

"We can tell when you are bluffing, Dear Boy," Ardyn taunted. "Kindly stop wasting our time and tell the adults what you did."

Prompto's fists clenched at Ardyn's treating him like a little boy who had just stolen candy from the supermarket.

"Well, Iris and Ravus are following us and I, _may_ have accidentally shot in their, general, direction," Prompto replied sheepishly. So much for his ability to keep Iris's wishes, he thought resigned.

Gladio stepped forward and grabbed his collar. "You did WHAT," he demanded.

"Of more interest to me is that Iris and Ravus are now in this fight," Ignis commented, reaching forward to firmly remove Gladio's hand from Prompto's collar.

"She'd better not even think about joining in," Gladio blustered out. "And what the hell is Ravus thinking? He should have stopped her!"

"Iris wants a piece of this battle as we all do," Aranea spoke up. "The way I see it is we have two more allies."

"But, Iris," Gladio started.

"She did say to act as though she and Ravus aren't here," Prompto spoke up. "She doesn't want Ifrit to know she's out there. She can help us from a distance, but if Ifrit knows she's there and confronts her directly, it would be very bad."

"I'll say," Gladio countered fervently. "Everyone, keep her and Ravus as a reserve force. Ifrit can't know she's out there."

"Agreed," the team said in unison.

They heard the sounds of battle ahead, and everyone stiffened.

"That had better not be Iris and Ravus," Gladio said darkly.

"They are covering us at the moment," Prompto said. "It, could be Noctis engaging Ifrit."

"He could be in trouble. We need to move forward," Cor stated.

"Indeed. It would be most unfortunate if we were too late to save the Chosen King," Ardyn replied tauntingly, but strode forward before anyone could say or do anything in response.

Aranea wiped her brow, doing her best to avoid thinking about the heat. She was the only one who didn't have flame armor or who was immortal, but she refused to allow that to affect anything. She would fight until she died of heatstroke before admitting any weakness there. She strode forward, just to feel firm pressure on her shoulder.

"A moment, Aranea," Ignis said firmly. "You'll need this for the battle ahead," he added, handing her the flameproof greave.

She stared at him, awestruck. He was relinquishing his protection in the battle, for her? She wouldn't allow it.

"I'm fine. You need it more than I do," she stated firmly.

Ignis sighed. "You really do force my hand, don't you, Aranea," he replied with frustration as he knelt down, smoothed her leather boot up her calf, then latched the greave onto it. She couldn't help but blush at his intimate caress against her leg, but then she felt the boiling hot air around her cool, as though a cold front had come through, keeping the air mild.

The sudden rush of coolness was almost more disturbing than the heat had been, and she reflexively moved to take the greave off. Ignis grabbed her hand in a tight grip.

"Do that, and I don't know what I will do to you," Ignis rasped.

Aranea deemed it time to back off. He was not one to provoke right now, although the blood tumbled in her veins at the thought of what he would do to her if he ever became completely undone. And while she was wasting time arguing, the others were in danger.

"Fine. I will take it for now, but we will trade it. You get hot, you let me know, and I will give it to you for a bit," she replied, making her way forward.

"That's a moot point since I'm always, hot, around you, Aranea," Ignis murmered. Her head slew towards him in an attempt to digest what she had just heard him say, but even now he was striding forward, ready for battle.

* * *

If Ifrit really thought pinning Noctis's leg with his own sword would keep Noctis down, he was wrong. Noctis warped anyway. For all his stoicness, he couldn't keep from grunting in pain as he felt his leg rip away from the sword like paper around a staple. He landed awkwardly at the entrance to the chamber, his back to the canyon, and stood there defiantly, panting with exertion. He could feel the blood flowing out of his thigh. He dimly remembered that there were some major arteries up there, and it certainly felt like his sword had gone through every one. Even now he could feel the black mists swirling around his vision, a harbinger of his inevitable blackout from loss of blood. However, he refused to acknowledge it, refused to allow it.

With his last bit of strength, he summoned any one of the Royal Arms that would heed his call. He ended up with the Shield of the Just. "A shield, really" was one of the few cogent thoughts that swirled through his head. What the hell was he supposed to do—bash Ifrit with it?

Ifrit evidently thought the same thing, and cackled with unholy glee.

"Who is the mighty king now," Ifrit sneered, then lunged forward with his fist to punch through it. Dodging was Noctis's only option, but his speed was hampered by his injury. He grasped the shield handle with both hands and braced himself for the impact that, he knew, would throw him into the rocks and break his spine.

It didn't come. He didn't feel anything. He looked up, sharply, to see the reason, and found it was because of Gladio and Cor. They had lunged into the fray, their giant swords at the ready, to intercept the blow.

"What did I tell you about going too far ahead," Gladio sneered, his only critique to his king.

Ifrit's blow did not take the two warriors down, but it did cause them to slide back a few steps.

Ignis saw Noctis's wound right away. "Hold on, Noct," he said sharply, and poured some potion onto it. The bleeding stopped, but Noctis knew it was only a stopgap. He had lost too much blood already. He felt freezing cold—even with the cooling effect of the flameproof armor in this desert, he was too cold from it. He knew he was in the advanced stages of blood loss.

"Oh look at how the Chosen King bleeds," Ardyn jibed from next to him. Of course he'd be here too, Noctis thought with a stab of resigned bitterness. "Perhaps you should lie down while I take care of everything."

"Either shake it off or get out of the way," Aranea added briskly.

Between the two goads, Noctis was able to overcome his temporary weakness. He resolutely ignored the dizziness that took effect seemingly every time he moved and was able to summon the Sword of the Tall. That was better, and he joined the fray.

Ifrit allowed himself to be cornered, backing up against the wall at the rear of the chamber, and kept Agneya before him as a shield.

Her plaintive distressed screams were horrible to hear and added to the nightmare that was the battle.

Prompto kept trying to line up a shot, but it was impossible. Any move he made would end with him shooting a defenseless child. And he was still shaken up about having shot at Iris. His palms were sweaty—there was no way in hell he could get to Ifrit at the moment.

From her vantage point on the canyon rim above, Iris was having the same struggles. She knew she had only one shot before her cover was blown. It had to be a killshot. And judging from the heat, even searing in the early evening, Ifrit was still at full power. A hollow point bullet would not be enough. The others had to weaken him enough first. And could she shoot him without shooting the baby?

Ravus was lying tensely at her side, scanning the battle. She could tell he was torn between wanting to protect her, and helping them. They couldn't talk right now or Ifrit might hear them. She reached out and grabbed Ravus's hand, gaze meeting his, willing him to understand that she was telling him it was ok to go.

He shook his head, returned the pressure of her hand with his, and continued gazing down at the stalemate.

"Hiding behind a child? That is depraved even for you, Infernian," Ardyn taunted, his distaste for Ifrit and his actions still quite evident from his tone and expression.

Ardyn stood back defiantly, provoking Ifrit, daring him to do his worst. However, he did not take the bait. Ifrit knew he had to tread carefully—an immortal plus flameproof foes would require, unique measures.

"I'm surprised that you would hesitate, Izunia," Ifrit sneered back. "Killing the defenseless should be no issue for you. You were King of Darkness for ten years. You know how to make the sacrifices. Go ahead, remove her from the equation. It is the only way you can get to me."

The others looked at Ifrit, appalled.

"You bastard," Gladio ground out.

"You would sacrifice your own child? What kind of monster are you," Ignis ventured, just to clam up as he remembered how much of a monster Ifrit really was—it was a moot point.

"Don't even think about it, Ardyn," Noctis ground out, at the same time Aranea grabbed Ardyn's tense sword arm in a tight grip.

"I second that, Ardyn," she rasped out. "I will be damned if I let you kill a baby to get to him."

Ardyn reached out and caressed Aranea's hand with his free hand. "Would you kindly stop making threats you cannot deliver on," Ardyn said, affably, but with a dangerous edge.

"Even if she can't, I can," Noctis replied coldly, matter of factly.

Ardyn sighed then looked back to Ifrit. "That is just what you want us to do, isn't it? If there is no Agneya, there is no more coldness. And then only you can keep the world nice and toasty warm so we cannot destroy you. That is a coward's game, Ifrit. I remember you being so much more Godlike. Face it: you have fallen so far that you can't get up."

Ifrit roared in anger. "Damn you Izunia! Why can't you ever do what you are told and destroy!"

Ardyn chuckled derisively. "I never do what I'm told. In fact, if you tell me to do something, I will do the opposite. I'm funny that way. Nobody is killing a baby today. Drop her, and face us like the God you are."

Ifrit stomped his foot, dislodging stone in the process. "If you won't kill her, you can't kill me," he gloated, holding Agneya even closer, oblivious to her howls of misery.

"We need to get Agneya out of harm's way before we can even touch him," Ignis whispered frantically to the others.

"I agree," Aranea said. "Some of us need to distract him, then Noct, you warp in and grab her."

Noctis looked regretfully at his leg. "All I can do is fight right now. My, leg won't let me warp very well." The look on his face as he said it was one Aranea knew all too well—it was the bitter frustration of somebody who was weak and hated it. She couldn't fault him.

"Ok. You help with the distraction then. Ardyn, you warp for her."

Ardyn smirked. "You would trust me with little Agneya? How times change. I am quite flattered."

Aranea gave an impatient sigh. "Just do it."

"Your wish is my command, Aranea," he crooned, just to get a suspicious look from Ignis.

From his vantage point above, Ravus stiffened in alarm when he saw the newcomers. They had seen enough of what was happening to formulate a little plan of their own.

The party below felt a rush of air, then saw a figure warp forward and begin to wrench Agneya from Ifrit's arms. It was not Ardyn.

Lux fell for a moment, being too high in the air with nothing to stand on while hovering before Ifrit, just to have Luna's float spell hold him steady as he yanked with all his might, gaining hold of Agneya. Deed done, Luna floated him back out of Ifrit's reach before the fire God could even digest what had happened. Lux landed safely with his bundle beside Luna.

"I'll get her out of here," Lux said, then warped away down the canyon.

Ardyn, Ignis, and Aranea all turned to look accusingly at Luna. "What the hell are you doing," Aranea sputtered.

"How could you bring 'my son' into this," Ardyn sneered. "Now I'm glad I stabbed you in Altissia," he added viciously to Luna.

"That was uncalled for," Noctis replied sharply to Ardyn. "But seriously, Luna, what were you thinking?"

She looked abashed and defiant. "I will explain later. Help the others!"

They turned around to see that Ifrit had regained his composure, and was retaliating with a vengeance. Instead of fighting Cor, Gladio, and Prompto, he was attempting to flee the scene, trying to leap out of the chamber and onto the canyon rim.

"He's going for Lux and Agneya," Aranea called out in alarm.

"Hold him down," Ignis instructed, taking his polearm and attempting to pin him to the ground just as Ifrit had done to Noctis. Cor and Gladio were bashing Ifrit's legs in an attempt to keep him still.

Ardyn summoned the Scepter of the Pious. "Graviga will keep him down," he said, and began waving the scepter around. An ominous black sphere began to form getting larger and larger. Aranea, who was still standing closest to him, felt her knees begin to buckle as the force of the spell pushed her towards the ground. Luna summoned a shield to put between Aranea and Ardyn to stop her from being pushed.

"Oh! Graviga! I'll help," Prompto stated, shooting the spell from his gun.

Ardyn released the spell at the same time Ifrit broke free from all of his attackers. Ifrit leapt clear a few seconds before the spell would have reached him, then grabbed onto the canyon rim and flung himself up like a monkey before bounding off along the canyon rim in pursuit of Lux and Agneya.

Prompto's and Ardyn's graviga spells converged into a conflagration that was impossible to control or avoid. The spell hit Ignis, Cor, and Gladio, forcing them to the ground amid much futile flailing to return to their feet.

Ardyn sighed, and rose a mocking eyebrow to the sheepish Prompto.

"I uh, didn't think it would do that," Prompto commented, flustered.

"If you don't know how to be a Sage, then don't be one," Ardyn lectured. "Rule 1 of sagery, never combine spells, that is, unless you are me," he added with a touch of arrogance.

"They'll be ok, right," Prompto asked in alarm, glancing back to the still flailing and pinned down warriors.

"Eventually. You should stay and protect them though. I'm afraid they are a bit, defenseless right now," Ardyn sneered. "Anyone else who can move, should be doing so," Ardyn observed.

This galvanized the others to action. Noctis, Luna, Ardyn, and Aranea began their run back down the canyon.

Luna saw Noctis's leg, and how stiffly he was running. "You need healing," she said.

"No time! We have to get to Lux," he countered.

Ardyn rolled his eyes, and flicked a sleep spell to Noctis. He was out like a light. "You're welcome. Now heal him," Ardyn commanded to Luna, then took Aranea's hand and warped them down the canyon to capture Ifrit, and their son.

* * *

"Go to them," Iris ordered Ravus, as he stared down at the still recovering party of Luna, Noctis, Prompto, Cor, Ignis, and Gladio.

"We need to help Lux. He's in more danger right now," Ravus replied, then reached out his hand to help Iris up.

The two glanced regretfully at the party below, then returned the way they came, sniper rifle and sword at the ready for anything.


	62. Chapter 62: To the Rescue

**Hi There! Update time. Just a heads up that this might be the last update for awhile-family stuff has hit me pretty hard lately, I am going out of town next week, and it's Thanksgiving in the US after that. I'm not forsaking this story-especially now that the rumor mill says SE cancelled all episodes except Episode Ardyn-I need to get my fill of the universe somehow ;-) Upshot is, more is coming, but it may take me a bit. With that out of the way, here goes. Thanks as always-feedback or reviews always welcome-even constructive criticism.**

* * *

Gladio writhed frantically (or tried to), frustration mounting as the graviga spell kept its tight control. "Goddamned Ardyn," he ground out.

"Well, I think it was my fault," Prompto was all too eager to say in his guilt. "I, think he had it in control actually, until I decided to help. I'm so sorry," he said, seemingly for the hundredth time.

"It, cannot be helped," Ignis replied, grunting with the exertion of attempting to rise to his feet.

It was as though there were elephants sitting on their limbs, forcing them prone. The spell even affected Ignis's glasses. They were pushing against his cheekbones—the nose pieces digging into his face. He blinked in discomfort.

"I, think it's lifting," Cor commented, finally being able to move his foot.

"I hope so," Ignis said again. "I for one don't want Aranea and Ardyn as the lone defenders for Lux."

"Is it that, or do you not want Ardyn anywhere near your girlfriend," Gladio commented.

Ignis clenched his fist, or would have if the spell would let him. He had tried to ignore Ardyn's behavior towards Aranea, and his admission that he was, attracted to her. Ardyn's warped relationship advice still taunted him, and couldn't help but make him feel, insecure, around Aranea. Ignis knew his limitations—that he was too protective of those he cared about. And he knew he alternated between "hemming in" Aranea as Ardyn had put it, and ignoring her completely in his duties to protect his king. Was he doing it all wrong? Would he lose her?

And it didn't help that he could neither protect his king nor Aranea right now. He was trapped on the ground by this damned spell. The thought of Aranea and Ardyn alone together did give him a pang of jealousy. He trusted Aranea implicitly—it was Ardyn he didn't trust. If he forgot himself and gave Aranea an insult, Ignis was powerless to defend her honor. Ignis smirked bitterly—he doubted Aranea would appreciate it anyway—she'd rather defend her own honor when all was said and done. However, that is how Ignis was made. He protected his own, whether they wanted him to or not. And Aranea was his own—they had given too much of themselves to each other for it to ever be otherwise.

He shook off these thoughts. Now wasn't the time to brood on his relationship problems, and to give in to jealousy. They were in the midst of battle, and Lux needed help. There was no way Ignis would sit this one out while Lux was in trouble.

He exerted himself again—the spell broke. He was able to lurch to his feet and take a moment to fastidiously dust himself off. Cor and Gladio broke free as well, not taking the time to dust themselves off, and merely grabbed their weapons to run back towards where Luna was hovering over groggy Noctis, her glowing hands rubbing his injured thigh.

"Are we interrupting something," Cor asked, dryly as way of greeting.

"Yeah, real sexy, my wife keeping me from bleeding out," Noctis snarked back.

Luna ignored them both. "He's lost quite a bit of blood. I need to keep the healing light going to replenish it," she stated.

"Like a virtual blood transfusion," Prompto asked, curiously.

Luna smiled wryly. "Something like that."

"Cool! I never understood how that white mage stuff works," Prompto returned.

"I think that's enough, Luna," Noctis commented.

"Are you crazy! You are still down several pints," she countered, aghast.

"Eh, it's like I just donated blood. I can still fight," Noctis returned offhandedly. "If nothing else, I can catch up to Ardyn and punch his smug face in for knocking me out. I don't need to be at full strength for that," he added, still smarting at Ardyn's move.

"We need you at full strength," Cor instructed. "You can't go against either of them at not 100 percent."

"And you should have waited for us before engaging in the first place," Gladio added his bit to the criticism.

Noctis groaned in frustration. "Fine. You guys go ahead—Aranea and Lux will need the help. Luna and I will catch up as soon as I'm back to full strength," Noctis said bitterly.

Ignis gave a cursory glance to the canyon, then back to Noctis and Luna. It was evident he was trying to figure out where his loyalties lay. Luna gave him a knowing look. "Go to her. She needs you," was all she said.

It was enough, and Ignis began running down the canyon.

"Wait," Cor called out, running after him, leaving Gladio and Prompto behind.

The stragglers looked at each other. "Catch up soon, Noct," Prompto called out, before he followed the fighters.

Gladio lingered a moment, then scanned the canyon above, evidently looking for Iris. "Hmph. I hope Ravus knows what the fuck he's doing," Gladio muttered to himself, then glanced back to Noctis and Luna.

"Hurry it up," he ordered, then sprinted after the others.

Noctis watched his allies's retreating forms, frustration still in his gaze.

Luna took a moment to gently pat his leg while healing him. "We'll get you back up to full soon. Just, give me a few more minutes," she said bracingly.

He studied Luna, noticing her bangs sticking to her face. He remembered she wasn't heat proof right now, and gently brushed the hair aside. "Thank you, Luna," he said, gently.

Her eyes met his. "For what," she asked in genuine confusion.

"Everything," he said, the answer seemingly wrung from him.

"You don't need to thank me, ever," she said, softly.

Noctis caressed her face, frustration faded for the moment as something else took its place. "I, know how rough doing your duties as an Oracle is. The sacrifices you've made. I, don't deserve them."

Luna tensed—it took Noctis a shocked moment to realize he had offended her. "Do you really think all of this is due to me being The Oracle," she replied, voice shrill with surprise. "I love you! Even if I didn't have these powers, I would burn myself out trying to save you," she added in a rush. "Ardyn's attack in Altissia all those years ago was not, immediately, fatal for me. I had time to save myself or you. I chose you. I will always choose you."

Noctis moved his hand to the nape of her neck, drawing her closer. "You don't have to make that choice, ever. We will save each other." Forgetting everything else for the moment, his lips moved to hers.

Luna gave a flustered smile. "Not now. Not while I'm healing you," she said breathlessly. "I, will forget everything else if you kiss me right now."

Noctis gave a rueful smile, but backed off. "You're right. But, when this is all over, we will, forget it all," he added with a low intensity. A sensual promise that still managed to take Luna's focus away for a moment. She regained her focus and managed to complete her task.

Noctis leapt to his feet with no dizziness. Leg fully healed, limber, and ready to go. He put his arms around Luna immediately. "Let's go," he ordered, warping the two of them forward, down the canyon.

* * *

The canyon gave way to open desert. How Ardyn had managed to get them here so quickly was impressive, Aranea had to admit. That didn't mean she liked Ardyn's grip. He had started with holding her hand, but now he had switched to a strong arm around her waist. She struggled, just for the grip to tighten.

"You are not a fragile flower, Aranea," Ardyn taunted. "In order to warp the both of us without crashing onto the rocks, I need a tight grip on you. Nothing personal," he concluded mockingly. But Aranea heard the gloating undercurrents. It was personal for him, indeed, and he was enjoying every second of the physical contact.

Still, he had a point, even if she didn't want to admit it. Speed was essential here—and they were moving quickly.

"Why are you doing this," she asked him. "I didn't think you cared for Lux at all."

Ardyn smirked in the mostly waned daylight. "So, I am not permitted to have a desire to protect my son? Very well. I don't like getting bested by Ifrit, so I want revenge on him. Is that better," he snarked, with an edge of bitterness.

Aranea turned in a desperate attempt to meet his gaze. He kept it forward, intently watching the path before them. She had no idea what the truth was. She should just let it go and accept that he was helping her, for now. That is what she had always done around him.

However, things had changed too much. She needed to know he was on her (and Lux's) side. Lux's safety depended on it. She couldn't suffer Ardyn's half-truths and mysterious motives here. If she was abetting Ardyn in some kind of nefarious move against Lux, she needed to know right now. She would not be fobbed off with mockery and lies. It was on the tip of her tongue to demand the motherfucking truth out of him, but then, she knew how he would react to that—lies and mockery as usual.

She needed to make sure he was on her side, and force wouldn't do it. She needed another way. And the way that came to her made her uncomfortable, disgusted, but with a curiosity about if it would work. She knew, at least to some degree, that he felt something for her. Could she use that to her advantage? Could she, seduce him into being her ally for real? The thought made her feel dirty—it wasn't fair to Ignis, or to Ardyn when it came to it. And she wasn't a woman who had ever used those kinds of methods to get what she wanted. And she deplored those who did.

However, Lux's safety was at stake. And for Lux, her own flesh and blood, she was willing to sacrifice anything.

She tightened her grip to press a little closer to Ardyn. "I know a smart man like you has a plan," she oozed leadingly, in an attempt to make him brag about his plans. She even batted her eyes in an attempt to act flirtatious. It was a useless gesture as he kept his gaze forward and did not respond.

"As long as you help me make sure Lux is safe, you will find me, very grateful," she tried again, doing her best to make her tones sultry, making it clear what form of gratitude she was suggesting/offering. The tones sounded awkward, even to her, and made her feel cold with embarrassment and self-disgust. It seemed to work so much better in the movies, she thought ruefully.

This at least got Ardyn to look at her. She did her best to keep from tensing in unease. It was his move now, and she wasn't sure how he would respond, or what she would do next.

"How grateful," he asked, leadingly, suggestively. "Would you be willing to, leave Ignis for me?" His tone was low, intense.

She should have guessed he would call her bluff immediately. She realized how dangerous this was, and made her wonder how far she could go here.

She couldn't do it. She could never forsake or betray Ignis. Just as she could not offer herself to Ardyn without feelings for him. It was unfair to them all.

He evidently could read her expression all too well. He chuckled in amusement. "False flattery and feminine wiles do not work on me," he commented affably. "I know honeyed words when I hear them. They are the stock in trade for diplomatic circles, after all. And I _was_ Chancellor," he added darkly.

"You are too honest to be able to use them to best effect," he lectured. "Although, your awkward attempts are, endearing," he added suggestively, tightening his grip around her waist for a moment.

Aranea sighed in frustration. There had never been any danger he would take her up on the offer—he had known it was a lie all along. Not only had she degraded herself by making the attempt to seduce support out of him, but it had failed, miserably.

"If you want to know if you can trust me," Ardyn continued affably. "Know that I have no intention of betraying you. I owe Ifrit a gruesome demise, and I have a, biological imperative, to keep Ifrit from harming Lux. Both of my motives are alongside yours at the moment. Now, will that suffice, or would you like to attempt to charm me again? You may get better at it, and it might be entertaining," he added insinuatingly.

"It's getting dark. How will we continue to follow Lux's tracks," Aranea asked, all business.

Ardyn smirked ruefully. "You have been following his tracks all this time? You should be following Ifrit's like I have been." He pointed down to a large footprint, so large and deep that it generated shadows and silhouettes in the late evening darkness. They could see these even at night.

"But, he doesn't know where Lux is either," Aranea countered.

"You still underestimate Ifrit. He knows full well where that baby of his is. How else did he wrest her away from Ramuh who had her well-hidden? If he was able to track her down when she was in the custody of a God, do you really think he will have any difficulty finding her when she's in the hands of a 'human' child?"

Aranea stiffened. This made things even more urgent than even she had realized.

"So, if we follow Ifrit, we find Lux," she said, sharply.

"That's the idea. We just have to hope that we are close enough behind him to slay him before he does the same to Lux."

"Go faster," Aranea ordered.

"I thought you'd never ask," Ardyn mocked, then quickened his warping pace. Aranea was forced to hold him closely, clutching him in desperation to keep from falling as the nocturnal desert landscape sped around them.

If they were unable to get to Lux in time, Aranea had no idea what she would do. For the moment, she had to depend on Ardyn. It was a, disturbing feeling.

* * *

"I'm good at running and hiding," Lux reminded himself. However, running was a tall order in this heat—he could feel the sweat pouring down his body. It was not helped by Agneya. The heat of her was searing—it was as though he had a hot pot in his arms.

And hiding was out too—Agneya was still screaming in distress. The noise would lead Ifrit to anywhere Lux tried to hide. If he could even find a place to hide. He had cleared the canyon long ago, and was now out in the middle of the desert. He hadn't had a destination in mind—nothing beyond getting as far from Ifrit as possible. Even though night was falling, the heat had not let up. Lux still needed to find shade and a place to rest. Perhaps if he was far enough away from Ifrit, he could still manage to hide despite Agneya's screaming? Perhaps Ifrit would not hear her?

He began to scan the darkening desert, desperately looking for a hiding place. There was nothing but the flat expanse of desert, red rocks giving way to ghostly blue in the faded daylight. He saw a black silhouette ahead. It looked like, a mountain range? Would there would be caves there, or something, he wondered, and made for the mountains.

Luck was with him. He found an alcove in the rocks at the base of the closest mountain. He staggered in, warping muscles having given out long ago, and scanned the dark in desperate fear for foes. None manifested, and he made his way to the back of the alcove. The alcove was a cave—no more than 10 feet deep, but it would do, Lux hoped. He plopped down on the rocky ground in exhaustion, willing his thirst to subside.

Agneya was still screaming. "Please, calm down. It's ok," Lux said in a ragged whisper to the baby, patting her in a desperate attempt to calm her.

Amid the screaming, he heard a clatter of rocks. He stiffened in alarm. He was not alone. Even Agneya seemed to sense that there was a threat nearby and reverted to hushed silence. Lux cuddled her close and stared at the cave entrance with wide eyes, hoping against hope it was an ally, even though his instincts told him otherwise.

He saw the human-sized silhouette appear at the mouth of the cave. He could see the pale skin in the rising moonlight, the flaming hair dulled to rose in the washed out light. It was not an ally. It was Belenus. Lux swallowed, desperate to keep his wits about him even as the panic rose.

The shot echoed in the evening stillness, the dangerous tones bouncing off of the rocks. Belenus collapsed just outside the cave—a rag doll in the darkness. The sound of the shot and the thud of a body falling were too much. Agneya began screaming again, and Lux followed suit, his panicked cries echoing in the cave alongside hers.

* * *

The cave was too small for Ifrit to enter using his usual form. He'd have to revert to Belenus for this, he thought with angry bitterness. But then he realized the benefit of it. It was the form Lux knew him best as, after all. It was, fitting for Lux to be ripped apart by that form.

Lux was a fool. Did he really think he could hide Agneya from him? Even if he hadn't heard her screams, he could sense the heat signature that she gave off. Lux might as well have put a neon sign up on the cave noting their presence.

How dare that little brat attempt to abduct Ifrit's child! Lux was nothing but a failure—he had failed to control the crystal, and now sought to take Agneya away from him. Ifrit would make him pay dearly for that. His lips parted in predatory anticipation as he thought of how he could punish Lux. Badly behaved little boys deserved it.

He heard the shot a split second before he felt searing pain in the back of his head. Then, nothingness for a moment. He lay there prone, feeling a gush of blood from the back of his head. He reached back, weakly, just to feel, nothing. The back of his "human" head had been blown away—there was no hair, no skull, just the front half of his brain.

The human form no longer viable, Belenus felt himself reverting to his true form. It would be awhile before he could revert to Belenus again, which also meant he was now too large to access the cave. He had a new target. Whoever had just shot him was about to find out what happened if you angered the Gods.

His eyes, flaming with fury, narrowed on the bluff behind him in the direction of the shot. He saw the shooter immediately, and his lust for blood and, other things, surged. Iris was lying there, smoking rifle in her hands. Iris would be his at last.


	63. Chapter 63: Fatherly Advice

**Hi Everyone! I was able to get one more section polished and ready to go (almost on my regular update schedule too). With vacation and the Thanksgiving holiday coming up in my neck of the woods, I may not have further updates for awhile, but they will be coming. And it just occurred to me that I have had this story going for a year now! How time flies. For anyone who has spent the year with me on this story, major major thanks. Happy Thanksgiving to all of my American readers!**

* * *

"More tracks over there going back the way we came," Aranea called out to Ardyn.

"Hmm. And they keep going ahead of us too. That is, interesting," he replied pensively.

"He doubled back," Aranea cried out, making the logical leap. "Did he, get Lux," she added with a twinge of hysteria.

"Getting emotional over it won't help matters," Ardyn replied condescendingly.

"I'm NOT getting emotional," Aranea blustered back, in instinctive anger that he was calling her an emotional female.

"I rest my case," Ardyn replied, smugly, always having to have the last word. "Something made him turn around up ahead. I for one wish to see what it was. If you want to turn back to intercept Ifrit alone, be my guest. Although, you would be leaving me, unsupervised," Ardyn returned mockingly.

Aranea was so frustrated and upset, she wanted to hit something, preferably Ardyn's smug face. But, she had gone down that road before, and knew how it ended. Not to mention the fact that would waste time that they didn't have. She controlled herself with an effort and thought things through. Ardyn was faster than she was. In the time it took her to double back, he could probably investigate ahead and then still catch up with her. It wouldn't save any time in the long run. For now, she was stuck with him.

He gave her a sidelong glance as though waiting for her response.

"We keep going ahead," she said, as though spitting out nails in the process.

"So glad you trust me to go on alone, Aranea," Ardyn taunted, but kept his grip on her as they warped forward.

The tracks abruptly stopped in the middle of the desert with the base of a mountain range a quarter of a mile or so ahead.

Ardyn scanned the nothingness around them. "Now, why would he have doubled back here," he mused aloud. There were no signs of battle or struggle, which he would have thought Lux would have attempted if cornered. But then, maybe he was giving the boy too much credit.

Aranea was scanning ahead. "There are two sets of human footprints ahead," she called out. "One looks like a kid's. It has to be Lux!"

"If he went ahead, then whom does the other set of prints belong to? And why did Ifrit turn back? I can't think of any humans, other than myself of course, whose presence would dissuade him from going forward. But then, I am not actually, human, am I," Ardyn added.

"Jury is out on that," Aranea snarked back, but then an answer came to her. "What if the extra set of prints is Ifrit's? Maybe he reverted to Belenus?"

"That would explain it quite prettily, would it not," Ardyn returned. "Although, why?"

"Because he can," Aranea returned scathingly. "Isn't that why you shapeshift?"

Ardyn chuckled. "That's for me to know and for you to find out," he taunted. "However, Ifrit works differently than I do. He does not find masquerading as another to be as amusing as I find it. He would go in at full strength. And there would be no point in him turning himself into a petty human at this juncture. Although I suppose we should move on and verify this little theory of yours, regarding the prints that is," he concluded as though grudgingly granting Aranea a favor.

"Hmph—don't put yourself out too much," Aranea snarked back, then strode forward towards the mountain range that was, for now anyway, their destination.

* * *

Iris was already floundering, hands shaking in desperation to load a new shell into the rifle.

"Don't bother," Ravus said, sharply. "It won't do any good."

He had seen Belenus revert to his form as Ifrit and rise to his feet with limber grace, his gaze narrowed on the bluff where Iris and Ravus were stationed.

"I've got to do something," she exclaimed in desperation. But even saying it, she knew it was useless. She had heard infant screaming from the cave, and had seen Belenus making his way into the cave to investigate. She had known Lux was cornered and had had to do something, anything, to stall. She was grimly pleased that he was, for now at least, too big to fit into the cave. She had bought Lux time, at the risk of herself.

And she knew what a risk it was. She could see Ifrit's feral gaze fixed onto her even in the evening darkness. She could see the lust and hatred simmering there, and knew what he wanted. Her palms were sweaty in terror, even with the flameproof tiara, and her fingers slipped on the butt of the rifle. She had hoped her shot would kill him, but she was not surprised that it had failed.

She wouldn't run again. She was tired of running. She had accepted this risk. She had pursued him, and engaged him even knowing it was suicide. She rose stiffly to her feet and met Ifrit's gaze boldly as he strode forward, unhurried, towards her. If nothing else, he would be distracted while he tortured her—it could give the others time to catch up.

She was so fixated on her final stand that she totally forgot about Ravus. She started when she felt the strong arm around her waist, and gasped at the rush of air as Ravus grabbed her and swept her away from the bluff.

"What are you doing," she demanded in anger. Her adrenaline was still running high as she braced for Ifrit. To have the sudden reprieve left her irate rather than relieved at the moment.

"Getting us the hell out of here," Ravus countered sharply, with an intent gaze behind them.

She glanced behind them as well, and could see Ifrit's furious shadow giving chase, and catching up rapidly.

"It's me he wants. Just leave me here," she demanded.

"So what, he can torture you and kill you? Not happening if I have anything to say about it," Ravus returned coldly.

"It's my fault! I'm the one who decided to confront him. It's only right that I face the consequences."

Ravus's grip tightened. "I'm not going to let you be a goddamned martyr. Now shut up and let me save you for once!"

"But you can't," she began, just to gasp as Ravus quickened his pace even more. They were nearing the canyon again. If they could keep their present pace they may run into the others.

The flames were bright in the corner of their eyes. The fireball propelled forward past them to strike a rock pillar at the entrance to the canyon. The pillar collapsed like a fallen tree from the force of the impact, crashing down to block the canyon entrance.

"Shit," Ravus exclaimed, skidding to a stop right in front of the obstruction. He bent his knees in preparation for jumping over it, just to have a giant fist slam the ground right beside them.

His having to stop to jump over the obstruction was costly. Ifrit had caught up.

Ifrit smirked in triumph as he surveyed his prey.

Ravus immediately swept Iris behind him, pressing her against the rock to shield her with his body. Ifrit would have to get through him to get to her. And, Ravus realized with a spark of hope—he was currently flameproof.

"You've got yourself a new boyfriend I see," Ifrit sneered. "But the way you run into men's bedrooms, I shouldn't be surprised," he added mockingly.

"What's that supposed to mean," Ravus sneered back, voice hard at the insult.

Iris peered around Ravus to glare at Ifrit. "Is this what all of this is about? You are still pissed because I entered your room in Insomnia? You knew why I was there, and I found nothing anyway!"

"You threw the gauntlet, Iris," Ifrit hollered back. "You trifled with a God!"

"No! YOU threw it first. Using Lux as your pawn, torturing him, attempting to usurp the throne!"

Ifrit opened his mouth to argue, then realized the futility of it. He tossed another fireball in their direction. Ravus shifted his body to take as much of it as he could, praying that the flameproof armor piece he held would hold. The flames engulfed them, but they felt nothing—just a rush of air like a fan washing over them.

It occurred to Ravus in that moment that they were temporarily shielded from Ifrit's sight—he may not be able to see them through the flames. His instincts taking over, he grabbed Iris and leaped over the rock pillar to land on the other side.

"More flame armor! How dare you," he heard Ifrit scream from the other side of the fallen pillar.

Iris gave a smug smile. "The flameproofing worked," she gloated to Ravus.

Ravus ignored her. "Run! Find the others," he ordered.

She ignored him and readied her rifle. "You and I know we can't run. At least let me have the satisfaction of emptying this whole box of shells into him," Iris stated boldly.

Any reply or dissent Ravus would have made was stopped as Ifrit stepped over the ten foot high rock pillar as though it were a puddle on the ground.

The two readied for battle.

* * *

Both sets of tracks led to an alcove, a cave.

"Lux, are you in there," Aranea called out in desperation.

"I'm glad we weren't attempting stealth," Ardyn countered. "Boy, if you're in there, you can come out now," he added.

Lux stiffened in unease. He had been all set to come out until he heard Ardyn's voice. Ardyn was, a bad man, right? Was Agneya safe with him? Was he safe with him, for that matter?

He knew Aranea would protect him, but he did not want her to. He was sick of being a burden. He wanted to protect himself for once.

He glanced back to Agneya. She had fallen asleep—well it was more of a cried-out stupor than a restful sleep. She was defenseless, but she did not have any other immediate needs at the moment. Lux decided to compromise. Shoulders stiff with resolve, he wandered to the mouth of the cave.

Aranea and Ardyn heard the sound of shuffling feet, then Lux appeared at the front of the cave, empty-handed.

Aranea ran to him, knelt down, and hugged him. "Are you ok," she demanded. "What happened?"

"And where is your charge," Ardyn demanded, noting the lack of baby in his arms.

Lux disengaged from Aranea, then glanced from one rescuer to the other.

"She is, not here," Lux lied, clumsily.

Ardyn gave him a withering glance, not fooled for a moment. "What you mean is, she is here, but you will not let me near her," Ardyn stated matter of factly. "Believe it or not, child, I do not harm children."

In retrospect, Lux didn't know what made him snap. Perhaps it was the strain of hiding Agneya, perhaps it was his past, perhaps it was his inner disgust at being related to Ardyn, whatever it was, he couldn't contain it anymore.

"You lying bastard," he spat out at Ardyn. "I remember, in the tubes. A voice saying how invaluable the information he got from Ardyn Izunia was. You, were in on it! It's because of you that I, and others, were stuck in those tubes! You—tear children apart!"

Aranea patted Lux's shoulder. "We should, talk about this later," she began.

"Why not talk about it now," Ardyn drawled bitterly, eyes narrowing on Lux. "Since it seems everyone knows I'm evil incarnate anyway, we might as well get it out of the way: I was 'in on it' on the sense that my DNA was used to create you. It is because of me that you exist in the first place, so you might want to keep that under consideration before condemning me," Ardyn commented, with a cold edge.

Lux hesitated a moment, shocked at his own words. He had gone too far to back down now though. "Existing as an abomination," he spat back. "Being used to destroy lots of people? Having the power to do it? That came from you!"

"You are not an abomination," Aranea exclaimed. "What you did, wasn't your fault."

She might as well not have spoken. Lux and Ardyn continued to face off against each other.

"For all my faults, I never destroyed innocent civilians," Ardyn returned with cold condescension. " _I_ allowed the residents of Galdin Quay to flee from the daemons. _I_ did not destroy them with a tsunami. If you seek to blame somebody for that, blame Ifrit or yourself. Not me."

"That's enough, Ardyn," Aranea chimed in, just to be ignored by both parties. It was not her fight—it was a fight between two abominations with their pasts and potential futures intertwined.

Lux had enough guilt over what he had done—he couldn't take anymore, especially having it piled on by Ardyn. To deflect the pain, he lashed out, beside himself with rage. "It's YOUR FAULT," he returned. "If it weren't for you I'd never be able to talk to that shitty crystal in the first place! You made me the monster I am. It's ALL YOU!"

"Sins of the father, eh," Ardyn replied tauntingly. "Like it or not, you have powers, from both myself and Aranea. You need to come to terms with that. Either own up to being a monster and destroy, or decide to harness your powers for good. Blaming evil old me for bequeathing onto you dark powers is the mark of a coward. Virtue or villainy is not predetermined. Just because I am your father does not mean you have to be like me."

"But, I destroyed all those people," Lux replied, brokenly, fight beginning to leave him. What he said began to crash down on him, and it was making him feel sick to his stomach.

Ardyn shrugged. "Some of them no doubt deserved it. But just because you did it once doesn't mean that you need to do it again. Coming to terms with it and moving on are unfortunate consequences of your innate powers, the curse I have left you with. Whether you choose the path of redemption or slide the slippery slope to destruction is up to you."

"I never want to destroy again," Lux stated. "I just, want to help people. Like Aranea and Ignis and Noctis and Luna do."

Ardyn smirked. "By all means. Except, it grieves me to tell you, they are not without their flaws either if you are seeking people to emulate."

"What do you mean," Lux demanded, offended that Ardyn was insulting his friends.

"Merely that in your intense desperation to do right, you may end up mimicking your 'heroes' and not thinking for yourself. That is just as dangerous as going down the path of darkness."

Lux bit his lip. That was a trap he could fall into too easily. He had been neglected so long that if anyone gave him attention, he gave them almost slavish devotion in return. He overlooked their flaws in the interest of not being alone. This, Ardyn guy, was right. He seemed to know him too well. Was this, somewhere else where Lux was weak?

"He, has a point," Aranea stated. "None of us are perfect. Seek to help and do good in your own way. In getting Agneya away from Ifrit, you already are."

Lux brightened a bit at her words of support. He was using his strengths in his own way—he was not mimicking the others. He did not have their skills in the first place. And if he truly were slavish to those who gave him attention, he would have still been following Ifrit to this day.

"For what it is worth," Ardyn stated with less bite, "I did not know how far Verstael would go in his experiments after I gave him the data. I did not know he would create and destroy children. I did not know he would make offspring of me. But the die has been cast. To whine about it now is childish. You are more mature than that."

"I am not whining," Lux returned defensively, but with less of an edge.

Ardyn smirked. "Funny. That's what it sounds like to me, but then, I am a deranged madman, aren't I?"

Lux remembered full well all the words he had hurled at Ardyn. He realized how selfish and immature he sounded. He wanted to crawl back into the cave and never see anyone again.

"I'm sorry for," he began, just to have Ardyn forestall him with a brusque gesture.

"I have heard much worse from far worse people. And if it makes you feel better to lash out at me, I can take it. It is one of the, 'blessings' of being your father. And, speaking of fathers, where is the Infernian?"

"Oh! That's right! He came up to the cave as Belenus. But, right before he got here, somebody shot at him. I, didn't see him after that," Lux replied.

Aranea stiffened. "Iris!"

"That would be one person he'd turn back for," Ardyn observed clinically. He warped into the cave and returned promptly with Agneya in his arms.

"It's time to return Agneya to her father," Ardyn stated, dryly.

Lux looked to him, appalled. "You, will give her up? To a guy like him! I, won't let you do it," Lux stated, then warped forward to grab Agneya back. He had warped too much already though, so his move was awkward, clumsy. Ardyn sidestepped it easily.

"At ease, boy. I have no intention on giving her up to him. However, if we hide her, Ifrit will find her all too easily. She is much safer with us. How about this: you come with us and serve as her guard. If you see Ifrit closing in, use what is left of your warping to keep her out of his hands."

"Lux should stay here," Aranea began.

"I'm coming," Lux said decisively. "And you don't need to worry about getting your way. I will keep myself and Agneya out of it. I won't let Ifrit divide and conquer us, and I won't let him get her."

Ardyn glanced at Lux with respect. "I thought you had courage, kid. Now, come along and do try not to disgrace yourself. Oh, and one more thing, boy: when you warp, use the energy in the air around you to do it. You will save some of your own energy that way and can warp for quite long distances without getting tired."

"Really," Lux said, impressed with the bit of knowledge. "Um, how do I do that?"

Ardyn chuckled. "No time to instruct you, I'm afraid. You will just need to figure it out on your own. With the powers you have, it should come instinctively."

Ardyn deposited Agneya back into Lux's arms, then put one arm around Lux and the other around Aranea and half marched, half warped them back along Ifrit's retreat path.

Aranea grabbed Ardyn's shoulder, pulling him back for a moment. Lux didn't even notice and continued meandering forward.

"How dare you insinuate that Lux did worse damage than you? You've done more harm than he ever did! If you ever say stuff like that to him again, I will kill you. Do you understand me," Aranea grated.

Ardyn smirked. "They are words that you are too soft to ever say, but he needed to hear them. With the power he has, he needs to be aware of the damage he can cause if he's not careful. Now that he has heard them, he will be a much better person for it. I would only want him destroying if it is his intention to do so, after all," Ardyn added tauntingly.

Aranea stiffened. "I'm not soft! I'm a hardened warrior!"

"In most ways, yes. However, I do fear Lux is your weakness," Ardyn replied dryly.

Aranea had nothing left to say simply because she could not refute it.


	64. Chapter 64: Quest for Power

**Happy December everyone! Been quite busy with travel and holiday stuff, but I was able to get a little more writing done in the meantime. Looks like this story is one of the longer FFXV fics on the site now-there are only a handful of others that are this long. Not sure if that's a good or bad thing-just mentioning ;-) Thanks to everyone who has been along for the ride. On with the show!**

* * *

Ifrit stepped over the high rock pillar as though it were a piece of newspaper and glowered down at his current foes. Ravus stood, sword drawn, doing his best to shield Iris from him. She was having none of it though, and sidestepped so that she had her rifle pointed directly at Ifrit.

Ifrit sneered. "Do you really think a gun will work on me, Iris?"

"No, but even if it wrecks your motherfucking day I will be happy," she replied boldly. She knew she had tossed the gauntlet and braced herself for his wrath.

To her surprise, he smirked. "You do have such fire, don't you, Iris? As a fire god I do admire that. Allow me to make you an offer. You come with me willingly, and I let the Oracle's brother live."

Iris was momentarily nonplussed—she had not anticipated this angle.

"Don't believe him," Ravus implored her. "He will kill us all anyway—" just to be cut off as Ifrit's hand struck out, sending Ravus flying, hitting the rock wall with a jarring thud. And a sickening bone-breaking crunch.

"I wasn't talking to you," Ifrit sneered over his shoulder to the stunned and injured Ravus, and kept his gaze fixed on Iris.

Iris's gaze flew to Ravus in horror. He struggled to his feet, gasping and clutching his chest. The impact had done something to his ribs. It was obvious he was in no position to fight. But he would still try. Iris could see it in the desperation in his gaze.

"Don't, Ravus," she gasped out, imploring him to stay where he was. She tensed her muscles, ready to run to his aid, but Ifrit's intent gaze on her stopped her. His complete rejection of Ravus said it all—he saw Ravus as superfluous to this. It was just between Ifrit and Iris at the moment.

"Your lover is not dead, yet," Ifrit said coldly. "But all it will take is a flick of my wrist to finish the job. You know I will kill Ravus right here and now. The only way to save him is to come with me." He held out his hand. "Become my consort, and all of this stops."

It came back to this. Why the hell was Ifrit so obsessed with her? Why did he want this from her? If she agreed to his demands, would it buy the others time? Would it give her the means to get close enough to find a way to kill him?

She couldn't do it. She had already tried something like that by agreeing to be used as bait by Ardyn, and look what happened. Ifrit would just kill everyone anyway just as Ravus said. It would avail her nothing to give in even as a bluff.

Ravus evidently thought the same thing too. He kept his mouth shut to keep the status quo, but all he wanted to say was in his eyes. His gaze begged her to think it through, to not give in.

"You want me to be your consort," Iris repeated derisively. "Unless you have a way to make me ten feet tall like you, it won't be physically possible to do anything with me," she added with cold logic.

"That is not a problem," Ifrit said just as coldly. "My Belenus form will return to me presently. And when it does, the proportions will be perfect."

Iris bit her lip in fear and disgust, but she refused to let it show. "I am quite flattered. With how much you hate humans, you are willing to become one, just to hook up with me? A girl like me should jump at your offer," she replied flippantly.

Ifrit's eyes narrowed. "You little bitch," he snapped out, and he reached out with a giant hand to backhand her across the face. The attack was weak, as he evidently didn't want to kill her just yet, but it was forceful enough to knock her to the ground. That is, if it had connected. Ravus leaped between them, intercepting the blow. He was the one knocked to the ground.

"You again," Ifrit yelled out. "You meddling bastard!"

Ravus lay wheezing on the ground, but was managing to sit up with an effort. "I, won't, let you, have her," Ravus ground out. "You can either kill me, which takes away your bargaining chip with Iris, or accept the fact that I will not let you touch her."

"That's where you are wrong, Ravus," Ifrit sneered back. "Human brains are really quite fragile. Repeated blows to the head, if done correctly, won't kill you, but could make you lose all memory of Iris, or even of your own bodily functions. You would still be, alive so to speak, but would be in no position to get in my way."

The term, "you wouldn't," came to Ravus's mind, but he knew it was pointless. Ifrit would do it without a doubt. Surrender was anathema to him, but the alternative was just as horrible. There was only one way out that Ravus could see. If he was the bargaining chip, he had to be taken out of the equation on his terms.

He gazed at Iris, all of his love, regret, and wishes for what could have ever been in that look.

Iris gazed back in horror as she realized what he intended to do. "Ravus," she gasped out on a broken sob.

His weakened, shaking hands picked up his sword, and he aligned it to slide between his broken ribs to pierce his heart. He only needed one last bit of strength, both physical and emotional, to finish the job. His hands tightened on the hilt.

Iris was tired of being weak. She was tired of watching those she loved being torn apart by Ifrit. She was tired of this son of bitch hurting them all. She wouldn't let Ravus kill himself in a warped attempt to protect her. But he could finish the job before she could even get close. Except that she had her gun.

"Sorry, Ravus," she whispered, then the shot hit just what she aimed at. The force of the bullet hitting the hilt of Ravus's sword knocked it out of his hand, sending it flying to land at the base of a fissure in the rock wall.

"What the hell did you do that for," Ravus gasped out in raw fury, clutching at his wrist, now sprained by the impact of the sword leaving it so abruptly.

She ignored him, running to retrieve his weapon. It's not that she thought she could use it—she just didn't want Ifrit to get it.

"It seems that your little sacrifice didn't work, Ravus," Ifrit sneered mockingly. "Oh well, back at it then," he replied, then maneuvered his over-sized thumb and forefinger like pincers to strike Ravus's head. Ravus couldn't move. He could just watch in horror as Ifrit moved to give him amnesia, or worse.

Iris wouldn't let Ifrit win. But all she had was a gun, and now Ravus's sword. She needed power to fight back, and she didn't have it. She was, so, fucking, useless!

Then she saw it, the jewel-like glint in the sand next to where Ravus's sword had lain. She recognized that glint, and the black obsidian filigree around it. It was the Ring of the Lucii. She didn't stop to think about consequences or anything but pure instinct to fight back. She picked up the ring. She didn't see that the move had temporarily stayed Ifrit's hand. She didn't hear Ravus's heartfelt "no" when he saw what she was intending, or note Ifrit's furious "what the hell are you doing." She slid the ring on her finger.

The ring bit her finger hard. For one shocked moment, she thought it would sever her finger from her hand. Then she felt a stabbing pain throughout her entire body. The desert, Ravus, and Ifrit all receded as she swirled into the realm of darkness.

* * *

Even though night was falling, Ignis was still feeling the desert heat. He knew he should slow down and conserve his strength, but his concern for both Aranea and Lux was spurring him on. He couldn't lag behind while they were in danger. And he wasn't sure whether Ifrit or Ardyn was the worse danger right now.

Still, his progress was agonizingly slow. Warping wasn't his forte, and he was feeling the pinch. He braced himself to go faster when he felt a firm grasp on his shoulder.

"Enough, Ignis," Cor said coldly. "You will not be able to fight if you keep this pace. We need you to be ready for combat."

"I know that," Ignis replied with asperity. "But we, I, need to keep moving."

"Aranea can handle herself and Ardyn, if it comes to that," Cor replied bracingly. "We need to focus up for Ifrit."

"However," Ignis began, just to hear the sound of a shot behind them. He turned sharply to see if it was Prompto.

It wasn't, and Prompto was focusing on where the shot had come from.

"It's Iris," Prompto called out in alarm.

Gladio's face twisted. "I'm going to her," he replied, and turned around to offer assistance.

Prompto gave an agonized look towards both Gladio and Ignis. Whom did he follow?

"Iris marks the clear and present danger at the moment," Cor told Ignis coldly. "You can intercept Aranea on your own—you don't need us," he stated, pivoting to follow Gladio.

"Who says you need to intercept Aranea at all," drawled a voice from behind the nearest rise. Ignis stiffened to see Ardyn saunter into view, arm in arm with Aranea and Lux. Lux held Agneya in his arms.

"Really, Iggy, Aranea was quite safe with me. What did you think I was going to do? Elope with her," Ardyn added sneeringly.

"It was more along the lines of you all bumping into Ifrit without support," Ignis replied coldly, but with an edge of defensiveness that was too easy for Ardyn to catch.

He smirked. "Believe it or not, I am capable of taking care of, 'my family'," Ardyn added snidely.

Ignis clenched his jaw at the same time Aranea elbowed Ardyn in the side and removed herself from his grasp.

"Lux and I are a family. You are not part of it," Aranea stated coldly.

"Really," Ardyn replied with mock surprise. "But my son and the mother of my son are right here. What else should I call it?"

Aranea sniffed haughtily and approached Ignis. "We don't have time for this! Iris is in trouble as we speak. Ifrit is after her, and I don't think Ravus will be enough."

"You are correct," Ignis stated. "Cor, Gladio, and Prompto have retreated to offer them support. We should do the same." He mopped the sweat from his brow, and began the retreat back to Iris.

Aranea grabbed his arm. "It's your turn," she said, ripping off the flameproof greave and giving it back to him.

"Aranea! I don't need," Ignis began, just to have Aranea kneel before him and put it on his leg, just as he had done in reverse earlier.

"There," she said. "It will take too long to take off again. Let's go." She started forward, just to gasp as Ignis put his arm around her waist and pulled her back beside him in a firm embrace.

"You drive me crazy, Aranea," Ignis rasped.

"You do the same to me, so I think we're even," Aranea replied flippantly, but with a breathless edge.

Ignis's grip tightened on her—she knew if it weren't for the rush they were in right now, he would be kissing her. Indeed, he may have even momentarily forgotten the danger and would do it anyway. And damn it, she wanted him to. It was only concern for Iris that caused her to draw back a little. Ignis loosened his grip, but did not let her go completely.

"I'm, sorry I was unable to catch up to you," he said with genuine regret. "I am, glad you are ok."

"This is not a pissing contest regarding who can do what," Aranea replied briskly. "We are all in this together doing our part. Now if you are done apologizing for nothing, we have a son of a bitch God to take down." Ignis let her go, taking her hand instead to lead her to the new front lines.

* * *

The pavement was hard against Iris's back. Why was she lying in the middle of the street, she wondered dazedly. She rose swiftly, and took her bearings. Her surroundings were strangely familiar. The cracked, pitted streets, the ravaged half-collapsed buildings. But then, she would have remembered being in a city like this. Then she saw the Citadel in the distance.

This was, Insomnia? But, why was it destroyed? Even the Empire and Ardyn had left most of it standing. She turned around, and stiffened in alarm. The street she was on gave way to nothingness—just empty space—no stars, no moon, no sun, no nothing. Just an endless black abyss.

She took a hasty step forward, away from the abyss, and it was as though she were on a moving sidewalk. She slid forward, ring first. Why was the ring glowing with a black light? She couldn't even put that arm down—the ring just pointed forward, like compass needle, towards the Citadel.

The nothingness was following her. Now the patch of street she had woken up on was part of that void. She shivered with a superstitious horror. What happened if she fell into that void? Would she ever come back?

The Citadel loomed large in the darkness, but something was wrong. It was as though the colors were reversed. The walls were glowing while the squares of "lighted" windows were black. The automatic doors opened as she slid into the lobby.

"Come to the throne room, my child," a voice intoned smoothly, emotionlessly. It was a voice devoid of gender, tone, animosity, or friendliness.

For lack of anything better to do, Iris pressed the button for the elevator and waited for it, watching where she had come from warily in case the void spread even further. To her relief, it did not seem to extend into the building itself.

The heavy doors to the throne room opened of their own accord as she approached, as though they were automatic doors. She made her way inside tense with dread, unsure what she would find.

Only a weak blue light lit the room. The black marble tile floor absorbed the light, making the room appear to be drenched in moonlight. She could not identify the shadow in the middle of the room. It was a human silhouette but seemed as still as a statue—an unnatural stillness.

"Uh, hello," she called out, voice high and tight with unease.

"Come closer, child," the androgynous voice enticed from the direction of the shadow form.

Prompto's saying, "there's so going to be a big nasty here," echoed through her mind as she approached. If she had to fight this thing, how the hell could she take it down? Was it as powerful as Ifrit? Ifrit! She suddenly remembered the desert, Ravus, the ring. She didn't have time for this! She had to go back to them. She began to turn around, but the ring on her finger wouldn't let her. It was drawing her forward, towards the shadow.

"Do not worry about the battle outside this realm," the shadow murmured dulcetly. She could feel the voice slide around her like warm ocean waves, trying to lull her into calmness.

Now that she was close, she could see the form in more detail. It was not a shadow. It was a humanoid shape, just as genderless and faceless as the voice. And instead of flesh and blood, or even shadow, it was prismatic, black, crystalline.

"Where am I, who are you," Iris demanded, wariness giving way to alarm.

"I have no name or face. However, your kind knows me as The Crystal," the being responded.

Iris remembered what Luna had said after removing Iris's petrification—something about the crystal being a sentient being. It had not made much sense at the time. Now she was beginning to wish she had asked more questions.

"So, you can take on different forms," Iris asked, digesting the information.

"Indeed. I can even take on the forms of the rest of the Six," it replied deadpan.

"Why am I here," Iris demanded.

"You tell me. You donned the Ring of the Lucii and have summoned my will."

"I need power to be able to defeat Ifrit. I, know sacrifices must be made in order to use your power, but if it will save everyone I care about, I will gladly pay it."

The being was silent for a moment. "I can grant you this power, just as I did to Nyx Ulric. He gave his life to preserve Insomnia and so that Lady Lunafreya could escape safely. Just as Noctis Lucis Caelum did to slay the daemons. That is how my power works. I can give you the power to destroy your enemies, if you are willing to destroy something of value in return."

Iris swallowed. Nyx had had to make the same choice Noctis did. And she had to do something similar. Her life was forfeit already, she thought with despair. If Ifrit got his hands on her, death would be a mercy. Power to save the others and death as an escape one way or the other—there was no question.

"I am prepared to sacrifice my life just as they did," she stated boldly.

"You do not understand the nature of sacrifice," the Crystal replied. "Death is no hardship to you right now as Ifrit has already cursed you with his lust. Your life in exchange for power is not sufficient."

That took the wind out of her sails. "Then, what do you want me to give up?"

"Who you love most," the crystal replied implacably. "I will give you the power, but either your lover or your brother must die. That is the agreement. It is only up to you to choose which one."

"What the hell kind of deal is that," she demanded in fury. "I am only doing this to _save_ those I love. And you want me to destroy them?"

"With great power comes great responsibility," the being intoned.

"Oh spare me," Iris snapped back.

"You put on the ring. You desired my power. You must be willing to pay the price."

She was back to square one. They were too weak to take on Ifrit as-is, but the price of the power to fight back was too high. She could have sacrificed herself in a heartbeat in exchange for it, but never someone she loved. Luna was right—the crystal was the God of destruction, implacable and brutal. Not that the knowledge helped—it still didn't help them against Ifrit.

Or maybe…

"I don't want your power if it comes with those terms," Iris stated.

"Very well. I shall return you to your world. Without my power, your finger will not be able to take the strain of the ring's power. I fear you will lose your finger, but that is the choice you made."

"I'm not finished," Iris added boldly. "I do not want to be made stronger. I want Ifrit to be made weaker."

This gave the Crystal pause.

"Face it, Crystal, Destruction God, whatever you are: Ifrit is a sinking ship. Imprinting yourself onto him is useless. Even if he manages to strike me and Ravus down, the Chosen King, the Oracle, Cor the Immortal, Ardyn (who is in fact immortal), his son, my brother, as well as Aranea, Prompto, and Ignis (who killed Ifrit before), will be right behind us. He will die, and what will happen to you?"

She had struck the Crystal silent. "What are you proposing," it finally asked.

"You withdraw your influence from Ifrit. Make him as he was before. As you are taking away powers, not giving them, no sacrifice should have to be made, right?"

"Then I lose my vessel," it replied.

Now was the tricky part. This could backfire spectacularly. However, he had given them grounds to trust him…

"Use Ardyn," she replied. "He's immortal now—Ifrit has used your powers already to give him that. Let him keep them, and make him your vessel of destruction. He already has the resume for it."

"So, you would have me grant powers to Ardyn and sacrifice Ifrit. Do I have that correct?"

"Yes. It is to your benefit, so it should be a fair trade."

"Hmm. You drive a hard bargain, Iris Amitica. I, accept. I shall revert Ifrit's form to a defeatable state and return you to the other realm, unharmed."

"Thank you," Iris replied, curtseying awkwardly. "However, what realm am I in now?"

"You are in the realm of what will be. When Ardyn resumes his reign."

And even as dread settled in Iris's stomach, the world of destruction receded, and she found herself on her knees in the desert night—just as she had left it.


	65. Chapter 65: Hostile Makeover

**Hey there! I managed to get more writing done amid a business trip to Seattle, a new puppy, and Christmas prep. Not sure if I will have time to write more before the holidays, so if I don't, have a happy, safe holiday season and an awesome 2019. On that festive note, let's resume the story, shall we?**

* * *

"Ah, Iggy. You are such a paragon," Ardyn murmured sarcastically, surveying Aranea and Ignis hand in hand as they led the fragments of the team to Iris's aid. They didn't hear him, but Lux did, and glanced at Ardyn quizzically.

"That is called sarcasm, my boy," Ardyn said dryly to his son.

"Why don't you like him," Lux asked with the naivete of a child that he still was.

"Did I say I don't like him," Ardyn countered with a question in an attempt to avoid answering.

Lux wasn't having it. "It's all over you whenever you refer to him," Lux replied.

Ardyn rose an eyebrow. "You are quite perceptive for a child who has spent much of his life behind glass."

Lux stiffened a moment. "I had nothing to do but study people from behind that glass. I learned body language and tone of voice before anything else. And I know you hate Ignis's guts," Lux replied smugly, wanting to have the last word.

"It is, disconcerting to see a younger version of myself," Ardyn replied musingly. "And for your information, I do not hate Ignis. I respect him, while at the same time, dislike him."

"But, why," Lux pressed with a single-minded stubbornness.

"As your 'real' father, please allow me to give you a bit of advice: do not pry into other people's concerns. There is the saying, 'curiosity killed the cat'. You would be wise to bear that in mind."

And with that, Ardyn sauntered forward at a leisurely pace.

"Shouldn't you, warp or something," Lux asked him. "I mean, you can get to Miss Iris first."

"So can you," Ardyn replied with a challenging smirk.

"You're right," Lux replied, and began charging up to do just that, just to have Ardyn grab his wrist.

"You are forgetting my instructions already," Ardyn taunted. "If you warp with the little one in your arms, you get there first. Who will protect you, or her, from Ifrit's wrath? Impetuosity will get you killed."

Lux subsided, giving an apologetic look to the baby sleeping in his arms. Ardyn was right in that regard. "But, why don't you go first," Lux asked him. "You totally can. I've seen you warp."

Ardyn sighed, raking his hand through his hair. "Because your mother and Ignis won't trust me to not have teamed up with the Infernian by the time they get there. And I for one am tired of having to earn the trust of you cretins. If you all don't trust me, then I will just stay where I am so you can all see me," he said wearily.

"But, Iris…"

"If she is foolish enough to engage Ifrit on her own, then she must be prepared to face the consequences," Ardyn replied coldly.

"But, I've seen how mean Ifrit is to her," Lux began again.

Ardyn shrugged. "We shall be assisting her, but we should be in no rush to save her from her own folly."

"You _are_ a terrible person," Lux replied, not maliciously, but as a cold fact.

"It pains me to bring it up again, but kindly remember all you have done yourself before passing judgement on a person," Ardyn lectured.

Lux bit his lip. If Ardyn was a terrible person, what did that make Lux? He had done bad stuff too. Ardyn was right, he couldn't judge.

Lux quickened his pace to line up with Ignis and Aranea. At least they were planning on reaching Iris faster than Ardyn was. The pained hiss from behind him made him turn sharply towards Ardyn.

Ardyn stood frozen, clutching his hand. As much as he tried to hide it, Lux could tell he was suddenly in great pain.

"What is it," Lux asked him uneasily.

Ardyn gingerly removed the hand covering his injured one. His ring finger was oozing blood, stemming from the black metal ring impaling his ring finger.

Ardyn glanced down at the ring, watching the crystal within pick up no light from within the surrounding evening darkness. But then again, it wouldn't, would it, he thought bitterly. Nothing associated with him ever gave off light.

"Your, your finger," Lux commented in shocked horror, digging around in his pocket for a tissue, a piece of cloth, anything to dab at the blood. Agneya was balanced precariously on one arm as Lux fidgeted.

"Do not worry, boy," Ardyn commented. "You may drop the infant if you move around so much." Then he chuckled with an edge of hysteria that freaked Lux out for a moment, especially since the sudden presence of the ring was not the only thing that was changing.

Ardyn's face was turning pale, no, more than that, it was chalk-white. His eyes were taking on an unearthly gleam. Even as Lux watched in increasing unease, he saw black ooze begin to trickle out of Ardyn's eyes and mouth like blood.

"Oh, how I wish the Empire could see me now," Ardyn chortled with malicious glee. "Oh, how they coveted the Ring of the Lucii for themselves! How it would gall them to see me wearing it!"

Lux began cautiously edging away from him in terror, worried that this terrifying madman would hurt the baby in Lux's arms. He backed into Aranea and Ignis who had retraced their steps to see what had happened.

Ardyn showed his hand to Aranea and Ignis. "What do you make of this," Ardyn asked them. It was hard to tell if it was a rhetorical question or if he truly was confused.

"The, Ring of the Lucii," Ignis stated in awestruck horror. He knew full well the power, and the pain the ring wrought.

"Ignoring for the moment the fact that you have turned into a motherfucking daemon, how did you get your hands on that," Aranea demanded.

Ardyn smirked in amusement. "Why, I believe I asked Ignis the exact same question ten years ago. Would you believe it when I say it suddenly appeared on my hand, just as the darkness has suddenly overtaken me again for some reason?"

Ignis studied the blood on Ardyn's finger. The wounds did appear to be fresh. He knew how the ring had burnt him when he first put it on. It seemed that it did something similar to Ardyn. Could his "redaemonification" have been part of the ring's curse too?

"I believe you," Ignis stated. "However, why now?"

"I rather believe the crystal has chosen its next vessel," Ardyn replied dryly.

Aranea looked at him in horror. "Please. Don't make us attack you after Ifrit," she all but begged.

"Why, Aranea! I didn't know you cared," Ardyn replied sinuously, suggestively.

Aranea bit her lip. "I, don't. I just don't want too many enemies on the table," she replied brusquely. However, the pauses in her response hinted that maybe there was more to it than that.

Ardyn didn't push it though. He merely looked at the ring pensively. "If you all weren't so convinced I was planning on becoming destruction incarnate along with my 'makeover', you might want to look at this another way. If the crystal has granted me its favor, it means that it had to relinquish its favor from another vessel. I do believe Ifrit no longer has the blessings of the crystal."

"Then, Ifrit may now be exactly as strong as he was in Insomnia when we fought him before Noct's ascension," Ignis replied.

"Which means," Ardyn added leadingly, condescendingly.

"That, we can kill him without too much struggle," Ignis concluded grudgingly.

"Bravo," Ardyn replied tauntingly. Ignis gritted his teeth.

"Then, we should get Ifrit while the getting is good," Lux chimed in, returning everyone to the point.

"You are correct," Ignis replied. "Onwards everyone."

Aranea hung back as Lux, Agneya, and Ignis strode forward.

"What kind of powers did you get from that ring," Aranea asked Ardyn warily.

He looked down to his hand as though it belonged to someone else.

"Why, the powers of darkness," Ardyn replied, as though the answer were so obvious.

"So, what, you can use ice magic, cause insta-death to foes, things like that," Aranea asked, voice hard.

Ardyn gave an indifferent shrug, refusing to answer the question.

Aranea huffed in frustration. "I tell you again, don't make us fight you. Even if you are as all powerful as you were during the years of darkness, Noctis will be able to defeat you. And he will have us as well. You will lose."

Ardyn sighed. "I dearly hope that is not necessary. I truly do not wish you all to defeat me at the expense of your lives. You deserve a better fate than that." He looked at his hands and the ring again. "I did not want this," he commented, mainly to himself. "I had hoped I would be spared this again at least. The crystal truly has blessed me," he added bitterly.

Aranea studied him, looking for the sarcasm, the usual lies, but they were not there. He really did sound genuine in his regret. His face, daemonified as it was, still looked haggard, worn down. He actually seemed burdened by the powers he was given.

"So, after Ifrit and the crystal, what then? You have dark powers, immortality. What will you do with them," Aranea asked.

"I hope that the crystal destroys me at the same time I destroy it," Ardyn replied matter of factly. "In fact, I am planning on it. It is, what I have been waiting for. It is, what I deserve."

Aranea looked at him, appalled. "You, expect to die this time?"

"That is how the crystal operates. Power in exchange for a painful death. However, if this," he made a sweeping gesture to indicate himself and his daemon form, "is enough to destroy the crystal once and for all, I will pay that price." He turned back to Aranea. "None of you have anything to fear from me."

Strangely enough, and even knowing it could be to her detriment, Aranea believed him.

* * *

The desert canyon was just as Iris had left it. Ravus was still lying prone, gasping from his likely broken ribs. Ifrit, however, was no longer about to attack him. He was staring, frozen, at Iris instead.

"What, did you do," he ground out, accusingly to her.

"Iris," Ravus ground out, registering that she had returned. "The ring—it didn't—hurt you, did it?"

She gave a gentle smile to Ravus, that turned hard as she directed it towards Ifrit. "I merely leveled the playing field a bit," she added smugly, only to tense, warily.

Something was wrong—Ifrit was not behaving as he usually had. There was something, vacant in his expression as he gazed at her. This was not the Ifrit they had encountered in the past.

As the moon rose over the cliffs, bathing the canyon in bluish light, Ifrit cried out in sudden pain. The very shadows of the moonlit rocks seemed to spread out like oil, slowly enshrouding him. He dropped to his knees, roaring, the sounds echoing within the canyon.

Was it really this easy, Iris wondered. She was getting a sinking feeling that her bargain with the crystal had somehow backfired.

"Iris," Gladio called out sharply, arriving to the scene with Cor and Prompto in hot pursuit, only for them to stop dead as they saw Ifrit now writhing on the ground. The rocks underneath dug into his back from the rough movements, the grating sound enough to make everyone wince in unwanted sympathy.

"What the," Cor breathed out as Ifrit rose to his feet slowly, a black mist swirling around him. Ifrit's gaze fixed on them with glowing eyes that they recognized all too well.

The desert became colder, darker. The storm clouds that Ifrit had been keeping at bay were closing in. Thunder rumbled ominously in the distance.

Ifrit now blended with the darkness—the only sign of his presence his inhuman, glowing eyes.

"No way," Prompto called out in horror. "He, became a daemon?"

* * *

"He's, become a daemon," Gladio repeated in awestruck horror. "Stay back, Iris," he ordered.

It was her fault, Iris realized. She hadn't wanted this. The crystal was supposed to take away Ifrit's daemon powers, not enhance them. How was this supposed to weaken him? The crystal had tricked her. How the hell were they supposed to take down a daemon god?

Cor was helping Ravus to his feet, stoically avoiding wincing as the first drops of rain began falling on his head. "Guard, Iris," Ravus gasped out. "Don't, worry about me."

"Let me worry about you," Luna replied briskly, rushing to his side to start applying healing light.

The party glanced in relief as she and Noctis arrived on the scene. Noctis would know what to do.

Noctis glanced at the party, taking stock, seeing who was there and who was injured. His gaze narrowed as he took in daemon Ifrit.

"This is, different," he commented dryly.

"It's my fault," Iris cried out. "I, asked the crystal to weaken him. It, did this instead."

Noctis looked totally confused.

"She put the Ring of the Lucii on," Ravus clarified, voice a bit stronger now thanks to Luna's healing light.

"How the hell are you not…? Oh, never mind," Noctis broke off as he sensed the moving shadows before everyone else did. He already had his sword out when Ifrit attacked, the being's giant hands spread to strike all and sundry.

Noctis grunted with the effort of staying upright amid the force of that blow. Gladio and Cor were galvanized into action. They rushed forward to strike at Ifrit's hands to give Noctis room to back off.

Prompto entered the fray as well, taking potshots at Ifrit.

"Hurry up, Luna," Ravus demanded, eager to help.

Luna gave him a tight smile. "Patience is a virtue, brother," she taunted.

"In the meantime, I will protect you both," Iris replied, rifle drawn, guarding them in case Ifrit made it past the the swordsmen to attack them.

Ravus gave a put-upon sigh. "It's my job to protect you," he spat back, frustrated.

"Who says chivalry is dead," Luna replied sarcastically. "Now be quiet so I can heal you faster so you can get back to what you do best."

Ravus subsided with a grumble to allow her to restore him to 100%. He knew he had to be—a daemon god demanded no less.

"What do you make of him, Your Highness," Cor asked, parrying another wild blow from Ifrit, or the daemon he had become.

"He, seems to be acting like an Iron Giant if you ask me," Noctis replied, rolling under Ifrit's striking arm in an attempt to backstab him.

"I think you mean a Red Giant," Gladio grunted as he was pushed back from another blow, his feet leaving tracks in the rocky ground along the way.

"Whatever," Prompto replied flippantly. "We have taken down plenty of those in the past. This should be a cakewalk."

"Then take the bastard down then," Gladio taunted.

Noctis rolled behind Ifrit once more to attempt another backstab, but Ifrit was aware of that move now. His giant foot kicked wildly behind him and connected. Noctis went flying down the canyon.

"Noctis," Luna cried out in agony, temporarily stopping treatment of Ravus to glance in Noctis's direction in horror.

"Go to him," Ravus ordered. "He, needs help more than I right now."

She gave him a look of torn loyalties, but she realized he was right. "I'll be back soon," she said bracingly, then rushed down to recover Noctis.

Ravus, already on his feet, walked stiffly forward and stood, sword drawn, beside Iris.

"I would tell you to rest while I protect you, but I know you won't listen," was Iris's greeting.

Ravus shook his head. "Nobody can sit out this fight," he replied, matter of factly.

"Real heroic. Now get your ass over here," Gladio ordered.

"Wait," Cor ordered, raising his hand to stop him. "Something is wrong. Look at how Ifrit is glowing now.

Ravus, Prompto, and Gladio froze. Cor was right. Ifrit was giving off a weird green glow. It would be dangerous to attack him now. They had to see what he would do first.

Backing off from up close fighting and giving Ifrit room to maneuver was a bad idea. With a wave of Ifrit's hands, the green energy shot forward towards the congregated swordsmen.

"He's launching a sp—" was as far as Iris got. The green energy connected, hitting Cor, Prompto, Gladio, and Ravus at the same time. Before Iris's eyes, the 4 fighters shrunk, getting smaller and smaller. And greener. When the activity stopped, Iris saw four toads in a row hopping around impotently in a panic.

"I didn't think we had to deal with this bullshit again," Iris commented in frustration. She remembered this annoying spell from her daemon hunting days. It was not like she had the Maiden's Kiss potion to cure it. They had not expected to encounter daemons, so potions to counter daemon attacks had never crossed their minds.

Cor, Gladio, Prompto, and Ravus were utterly defenseless like this. Iris was the only one standing right now, and had nothing to undo this stupid spell. She ran forward to gather the toads up, but they hopped out of the way as though she were a threat. They weren't just in the physical form of toads. They had become toads—animals. Being overwhelmed by the big, scary predators, they hopped into a crevice to get to safety.

"You've got to be kidding me," Iris cried out, just to jump back as Ifrit lunged towards her. She shot from the hip and it connected, hitting Ifrit's leg. The attack was enough to halt his charge for the moment.

She saw a flash of white out of the corner of her eye as Noctis warped Luna back onto the scene. Noctis was back, none the worse for wear, sword drawn, ready to reengage. He didn't even ask if everyone was all right. He had seen things were dire, indeed, and had known action was what was needed. He didn't see Gladio, Prompto, Cor, or Ravus, but knew they had not retreated. Something was very wrong for them to have disappeared.

Luna asked the question instead. "Where are the others," she asked tightly.

"Ifrit, turned them into toads," Iris replied, taking another potshot at Ifrit to keep him distracted while Noctis got another attack in. It wasn't like it was doing any good though. Noctis's blows and her shots were doing nothing.

"Where are they," Luna asked, taking the response in stride.

"Over there," Iris pointed to the gap they had squeezed into. "Can you, fix them? We don't have any Maiden's Kiss on us."

"Yes," Luna replied. "The toad spell tends to be an annoyance rather than a threat. However, if they have gone into hiding, that is more difficult. We'll need to lure them out first."

"How the hell do we do that," Noctis demanded, rolling out from under one of Ifrit's feet. "I could use more swords about now."

"Will daggers or polearms do," Ignis calmly piped up, arriving on the scene with Lux and Agneya in tow.

Lux stared wide-eyed at the scene. "Is that, Ifrit," he gasped out in awestruck horror at the deformed daemon that had once been Ifrit.

Ifrit turned sharply at the sound. His glowing eyes fixed upon Agneya. Somewhere buried in his corrupted psyche, his instincts regarding Agneya were still there. He lunged forward towards her.

"No you don't," Aranea cried out, intercepting the lunge and blocking him with her polearm.

"A daemon form of Ifrit? I confess I did not expect this," Ardyn commented offhandedly.

Noctis's gaze narrowed on Ardyn. "You're a daemon now too," he demanded, just to whip his sword backwards on instinct to strike at Ifrit when he tried to strike him from behind.

"Looks can be deceiving," Ardyn replied dryly.

"Ifrit has the toad spell," Iris called out to the newcomers. "He got Cor, Ravus, Prompto, and Gladio with it."

Ardyn chuckled. "The toad spell? How quaint. I assume the Oracle can fix that right up," he added condescendingly.

"I could if I can get them out of that crevice," Luna replied with some asperity. "Otherwise they'll be crushed if I return them to full size in there."

"Damn," Noctis replied in surprise. He hadn't thought of that, but it was truly a grisly thought

Ardyn glanced to Lux. "Would you kindly hand little Agneya to Lady Lunafreya then recover those toads for us?"

"Why me," Lux demanded in the wake of the arrogant condescending command.

"Because I know you can do it quickly," Ardyn replied. Lux brightened a bit at the backhanded compliment, gently but gracelessly handed Agneya to Luna, and rushed to the crevice to recover the erstwhile fighters.

Luna gave Ardyn a knowing look. "You just don't want him fighting, do you," she said.

"I don't think he's quite ready for a battle of this scale just yet, do you," he countered.

Before she could reply, he warped off towards Ifrit to offer what assistance to his allies as he could.


	66. Chapter 66: Trials of the Noncombatants

**Happy 2019 to one and all! Sorry it has taken me a bit-real life and writers block have hit me some. Anyway, I have some more ready. Hope you enjoy and thanks for reading as always.**

* * *

Talcott watched the rain drops splashing into the ocean waves, now ink-black in the darkness. "I guess the guys have done something to Ifrit," he commented to Cid, Holly, and Cindy, who were taking shelter from the rain in the shadow of the airship.

"That means they're winnin', right," Cindy replied in desperate hope.

"Hate to dash yer dreams, hon, but that don't mean nothin'," Cid replied. "In my 'sperience, a baddie losin' a fight just becomes more desperate. And if that Ifrit feller gets Prompto, we ain't goin' nowhere."

"Don't say that," Cindy commanded. "I lost him once. I can't go through that again."

Holly patted her hand and glared at Cid for bringing up the elephant in the room.

Cid shrugged. "The least we can do while we're sittin' here is try to rejigger the engine so that any of us can run it. We may need a quick getaway and if that boy is injured…"

In other words, Cid was bored, Cindy realized. When events were out of his control, he needed to solve some kind of problem, any kind of problem, in order to keep sane and feel like he had a say in the situation. But, she had to admit, focusing on the airship was better than worrying about the guys.

"We agreed it would take weeks to fix. Not sure if we have the time now," Cindy replied, playing devil's advocate.

"What else we've got to do," Cid replied. "I for one am all napped out. And you know what the rain does to ma joints. I need to keep movin' to keep the pain away."

"The ignition is nothing but a bunch of parts and an electrical circuit," Holly spoke up. "With you guys being the wizards of mechanics, and me knowing my way around electricity, we may be able to get it. Imagine, if we had something good by the time they get back," she added wistfully.

"That's a challenge I gladly accept," Cid wheezed with a hearty laugh, and he stiffly but purposefully made his way to the cockpit to look at the ignition in question.

Cindy and Holly followed suit, grateful to get out of the rain for the moment. Talcott couldn't help, but he followed them in to take shelter as well.

Their shoulders slumped—it was just as it was before. They needed a way to switch the electrical switch to a mechanical one with a key rather than a fingerprint scanner, but didn't have the parts to do it.

Holly poked at the screen. "This thing had to be calibrated somehow to work with Prompto's print. Maybe we can reset it?"

"To what, _my_ fingerprint," Cid replied bitterly. "That still doesn't help us."

"It's a start," Holly replied defensively. "You aren't engaged with Ifrit at least."

"I don't see a reset button or anythin'," Cindy added after evaluating the control panel. "And even after we started the ship up after years of neglect, Prompto's settings were still saved in here. So just unpluggin' it won't help us with a reset."

"Exactly," Holly replied. "That's why we haven't been able to unplug it or mess with the wiring. Even when the ship is off, those still have backup systems, surge protectors, and are potentially live circuits. I ain't messin' with anything that could zap me."

"Which brings us back to needin' the parts," Cid spoke up.

"Not necessarily," Holly replied. "If we can kill the circuit completely, including the redundancies, then I can play with it to figure out what each piece does. Then I can activate just the components related to ignition and keep the security components inactive."

"How do we do that," Cindy asked.

"That, I don't know," Holly replied, dejectedly. "If only I still had that taser I had in the Vesperpool. It's a shame I had to leave it behind. The taser'd be able to short the whole damn thing out so I can rebuild it from scratch. As you said, there are surge protectors and things. We need high voltage to short it out, and we don't have anything like that here."

Talcott looked out the airship window at the rain that had begun to pour, and flinched at the crash of thunder. Wait, thunder…

"Uh guys, would lightning short it out," he asked.

All three heads slew towards him. Holly facepalmed. "Now why didn't I think of that! The voltage on a lightning bolt would be plenty high. With a direct hit to the circuit, we'd short it out for sure," she added excitedly. "We zap it with so much energy that the breaker trips. Then I know which breaker powers the ignition switch. When I can verify the circuit is dead, then I can have my way with it!"

"Hold yer horses there, Holly. If we fry the circuits then the whole ignition switch is blown," Cid replied warningly.

"The only risk we run is if the wires get melted when we short it out," Holly replied. "We don't have replacements for those. Anything else I can fix. It's much easier to fix a dead circuit than mess with a live one that is designed to stay live no matter what."

"So, we have a choice. We either leave it alone and trust that Prompto will be ok, or we risk fryin' everything in exchange for all of us being able to handle the ship if we have to," Cindy replied. "I, will put my faith in Prompto here. I don't think we should mess with it. If the wires melt, we have no way out."

Holly looked grave. "I, wish I could. I wish I could trust Gladio to bring him back to us ok, but there are no certainties. Just as we thought the world was saved before, we were wrong. Shit happens. I'd sooner be prepared for it. My vote is to fry it."

"I agree with Holly," Talcott spoke up. "From, what happened to my grandpa, I know how sudden, death can occur. I'd rather not depend on one life, even if that life is Prompto's."

Cindy winced, not wanting to think about death in relation to Prompto again. "But, we depended on Noctis," she replied, trying to convince Talcott to her way of thinking. "We waited years for him to return to us to return light to the world, and he did."

"That's just it. We waited ten years for him," Talcott replied. "What would have happened if we had all banded together to stop Ardyn earlier? Would we have been able to bring light back earlier?" He put up his hand to forestall Cindy's rebuttal. "It was a rhetorical question. We did what we did. We were truly blessed in how things turned out—well, except for Noctis having to give his life and all. But, depending on one person to save us wasn't fair to us or to Noctis when it comes down to it."

Cindy abandoned her argument and looked to Cid. "It looks like you can either tie this argument or override me," she commented.

Cid looked at her with regret. "I know I will piss ya off with what I say here. But, I gotta agree with Holly and Talcott. Shit happens. I don't like dependin' on one person for our survival if there's a chance we don't have to. I'm down for a circuit fry. Just wish I had some catfish and taters to go with it," he joked.

Cindy gave a sad smile at his joke, but backed down in favor of the majority. "You're in charge here, Holly," she said. "What's next?"

Holly smiled back. "If, I screw us all by melting the wires, I take full responsibility, and you can say I told you so," she conceded. "Now, we just need to build a lighting rod for the roof of the airship. We have enough metal around here that we should be able to rig up something."

"What the hell," Cid replied in astonishment. "We were up in the middle of the worst damn thunderstorm I've ever seen, gittin' the whole ship zapped, and that thing didn't short out."

"That's the point. The whole ship got zapped," Holly replied. "The energy was dispersed evenly. We need a bolt to strike the circuit dead on."

"Ah! I get it," Cid replied, warming to the theme. "We run somethin' from the circuit to the rod, then the lightning strikes it, and oh boy howdy do we have a fry!"

Holly smiled in amusement. "If only we weren't surrounded by cliffs. Even with something on the roof of the airship, it wouldn't be the tallest thing around. It may take awhile to get a hit."

Cindy glanced sharply to the nearby ocean as another bolt of lightning struck it. "What about connecting the circuit to a wire that connects to the ocean? Then lightning hits the water and up the wire to our baby?"

"Hmm. Seawater is a good conductor of electricity," Holly replied. "Except the energy diffuses quite a bit. If it hits too far away, it still won't be strong enough."

"Sounds like fishin'," Cid replied. "We set up a lightning rod on the roof and somethin' to the water. Then we wait for a bite, or a zap."

Cindy smiled at the analogy, then her smile faded as another thought occurred. "Do, we have enough metal for two conduits," she asked in concern. "I think we could dig up enough for one, but two…"

"No point worryin' about it till it occurs," Cid replied, all about the idea now, and not wanting to hear what-if's.

"This beach is shipwreck city," Talcott spoke up. "There's gotta be some metal in the wreckage around here. It's not like anyone was around to loot it. I'll go take a look."

"Not alone you ain't," Cid replied. "Too dangerous. I'll come with ya."

"What about your back, Pops," Cindy spoke up in concern.

"Eh, it's not like sittin' still will make it feel better in this weather anyway. Walkin' will help it."

"Don't worry about it, Pops. I'll go," she replied. "I, can't just sit around here worryin', you know. You can stay here with Holly and start assemblin' the rods with what we've got. Talcott and I will bring stuff as we find it."

Cid gave her a long look. He knew she was trying to save his ailing back the effort of lifting potentially heavy parts and long walks in rough terrain. And, damn it, she was right. With his joints the way they were, he'd be useless helping Talcott. He backed down. "It's tough when you git old," he told her sadly. "Talcott, keep her safe, along with yerself, will ya?"

"Of course, Cid. We'll be back soon." Talcott leaped out of the airship with an agility that made Cid shake his head regretfully, then offered his hand to Cindy to help her out of the airship. She clambered out with no issues, and the two of them disappeared into the stormy darkness.

Cid glanced back to Holly, who was already glancing around the airship with a mechanic's eye. "Help me unscrew the armrests, will you," she said, handing him a socket wrench from their toolbox.

Cid shoved all his worries for those he cared about aside and began looking for any expendable piece of metal that could be used for lightning rods.

* * *

If Lux were still obsessed with his weakness, he had plenty of fodder for it now. While Noctis, Ignis, Aranea, Iris, and Ardyn engaged Ifrit in a full on battle, he was rummaging under a rock trying to dig out toads. Except that these toads were Gladio, Cor, Prompto, and Ravus. They were cowering under the rock to avoid the upcoming battle. As tiny toads, their animal brains were all about self-preservation. And really, a toad against a monster like Ifrit made hiding under a rock quite understandable.

They needed to be freed from their animalistic prison though, and that was one thing Lux could help with. He remembered his days in Galdin Quay, back when Belenus was "actually" teaching him—not just manipulating him. It had been one of the first places Lux had seen since he was released from the tube. He had been fascinated by the fish swimming in the crystal clear lagoon, and the tiny creatures that hung out in the tidal pools on shore. He had had no qualms about picking up the ones Belenus had told him were harmless.

It was the same now—Lux was just a little boy rummaging through the rocks playing with toads. He couldn't feel them though. They were evidently avoiding him. Perhaps he could lure them out somehow. What did toads like? He knew they ate bugs, but there were no bugs in this desert. Could he, make something look like a bug?

What about, himself, he wondered. He was (basically) Ardyn's clone, and that guy could change forms (at least from what Aranea had mentioned in one of her gripes about him). Could, Lux do it too? It would be awesome if he could change forms into something useful. But, how? If he had the power, wouldn't he have done it by accident at some point by now? Ardyn had told him to channel the energy from around him to warp. Could he do the same to shapeshift?

Feeling like an idiot, Lux tuned out the battle behind him, closed his eyes, and focused on his immediate environment as he would in a warp. He heard the faint ribbits of the toads, but also felt something else. It was as though there was an energy within the soundwaves. An unnatural energy, like something that didn't belong. Something that was an illusion. His hands felt weird, like they were no longer part of his body. He glanced down, and saw they were flickering.

They were trying to change shape. He instantly began thinking of every bug he knew about—the annoying crickets that never shut up in the summer nights. The big sting-monster bees that plagued every meadow he had ever tried to explore. The wicked cool praying mantises that were both terrifying and awesome at the same time.

Lux opened his eyes again, and everything was huge—no wait, he had shrunk. "Oh wow," he tried to say, but it came out as a raucous cricket sound. No way! He tried again, just to hear the exact same sound. He couldn't see himself, but he sure could hear. And he knew he had succeeded. He had successfully shapeshifted, into a bug.

He scampered his way into the hole where the toads had retreated. He could see them, their beady eyes glittering in the darkness. The eyes began bouncing, as though they were hopping towards him. Ok. He had set himself up as bait—now he just had to avoid being eaten. He scuttled with all his might, hearing the ribbits and feeling the shockwaves behind him. He hoped it was all four chasing him, but it wasn't like he could afford to look.

What had once been a few steps was now taking a few minutes, but he eventually reached Luna's feet. He tried calling out to get her attention, but again all he could emit was a raucous chirp. She glanced down sharply, and did a double-take at the strange creature at her feet.

It was chirping like a cricket, had the green limbs of a praying mantis, and the black and yellow body of a bee. It was like no bug (insect or arachnid) she had ever seen. It briefly crossed her mind that this creature could be poisonous, but then she saw the four toads eagerly pursuing—tongues already sticking out in an attempt to grab it. She had more important things to do right now than worry about a strange bug.

"There you are," she exclaimed at the pursuers. Her hands glowed with white light that radiated out into the night towards the creatures. One by one the toads reverted, back to the stoic warriors they were.

"What the hell happened," Gladio exclaimed.

"You were toaded," Luna replied.

"No way. Not cool," Prompto replied in turn.

"What is that," Ravus replied warily, staring down in Lux's direction.

"Should we squash it," Cor asked, looking down at the tiny abomination at Luna's feet. In his experience, the smaller and weirder the bug, the more chance of a lethal bite.

"Revert to human, revert to human," Lux kept reciting in his head, but he still felt small.

"Whatever. I'm goin' to help Iris," Gladio replied, running back to the fray. This galvanized Cor, Ravus, and Prompto. They couldn't be focused on weird bugs at a time like this. They ran to help the others, passing Ardyn as he sauntered back, evidently to satisfy his curiosity and oblivious to the fact that he could be needed in battle.

"I see Lux extracted the toads," he commented dryly, approaching Luna to also stare down at the creature.

"Yes, but where is he," Luna replied, looking around in concern.

Ardyn noted Lux's absence, the presence of the strange creature, and how interested the toads had been with it. He drew his own conclusions.

"The toad energy is gone. Draw on the nothingness," Ardyn commented.

Luna looked at Ardyn as though he had finally lost it. However, what he said made sense to Lux. He followed the advice and could feel himself getting larger again—his limbs and everything around him felt back in proper proportion.

He surged up, from bug to human, startling Luna in the process. She jumped back in alarm, jarring Agneya who emitted a startled whimper.

"How did you," Luna asked in amazement.

Ardyn chuckled. "Congratulations, Lux. You have managed to amaze the Oracle. Pat yourself on the back," he added patronizingly. "Although, your shapeshifting abilities could use a little work. Remind me to go over that with you sometime," he commented offhandedly.

"I think I did fine," Lux replied smugly, refusing to listen to Ardyn's barbs. As far as he was concerned, he had gotten the toads out, so had done his job. "Shouldn't you be helping them," he reminded Ardyn, with a pointed glance at the fighters.

"That's the thanks I get for coming to check on you," Ardyn replied with mock offense. "Very well. Back to work." He sauntered back, in no hurry, to continue with Ifrit.

Luna glanced back at Lux. "Well done," she praised. "But you know, with powers like that, you need to be very careful, right?"

"With great power comes great responsibility. I know," Lux replied, resigned. "I can take Agneya back now so you can help them, if you want. I, mean, I'm not hinting that you should go into danger or something, but if you feel left out of the fight or something," he added, flustered, nervous that his comment could be misinterpreted. He had no qualms about telling Ardyn to do his job—that guy didn't do anything he was supposed to it seemed unless he was nagged enough. However, Luna knew her responsibilities already. Lux would never seek to tell her what to do.

Luna gave a gentle smile. "Thank you, Lux," she replied, returning Agneya to his arms. She sized up the fighters, seeing who looked tired, then made her way towards them to offer what healing assistance she could.

"Looks like it's just you and me, Agneya," Lux replied conversationally. "I'll keep you safe. Don't you worry. I'll find us a good place to watch the fight from. With all the guys together, I know they will make some sweet moves." He carried Agneya out of the fray but still kept a close eye on the battle.


	67. Chapter 67: Light or Dark

**Happy February, Everyone! In between real life and playing Kingdom Hearts 3, I have managed to get a little more writing done too! And here it is. I have a little more after this in the polishing stage too, so my hope is I can get closer to a regular cadence on updates, but we will see. Thanks for reading, and hope you enjoy.**

* * *

By all accounts, he should be a badass, Noctis thought in frustration as another one of his strikes was blocked. He defeated Ifrit before and could even defeat Ardyn in his immortal form. Why the hell was daemon Ifrit so difficult?

The surroundings were no doubt a part of it. When they had fought Ifrit in Insomnia, they had had city lights, augmented by Ifrit's fire. He was an easily visible target. Now, he was turned to shadow—black basalt enclosing the heated magma within. That, combined with the now rainy darkness devoid of even moonlight, he was impossible to see. The only glimpse they had of him was when lightning chose to (at least frequently) flash. It was as though they were fighting in slideshow format—they were only seeing Ifrit's moves in a series of still photos as the lightning flashed. They had to predict his probable location and movement in between the flashes to land a hit.

Ardyn evidently agreed that Noctis was not living up to his namesake. "Your allies return," he called out as (to Noctis's relief) Prompto, Ravus, Cor, and Gladio returned to the fight. "Although, I am not clear why it is taking you so long. You should be able to defeat this thing with your eyes closed," he taunted.

"I basically am in this darkness," Noctis snarked back, frustrated.

"I can help," Luna replied briskly. "Holy Light!" From there, intense light radiated from her palms. They could now see Ifrit in stark relief. At least those who weren't caught off-guard by the light could.

"Shit," Gladio replied, jumping back a moment to rub his eyes. "Could you have least warned me to look away first," he scolded her.

"What! You hungover or something," Prompto quipped to his teammate, taking another shot at Ifrit—his shots now looking less intense in the decreased darkness.

"Never mind that," Ravus called out. "We have an opening!"

Ifrit had reeled back, roaring in agony. His hands covering his eyes, temporarily anyway, blinded by the light.

"Aranea, now," Ignis ordered, leaping into the air above Ifrit. Aranea followed his lead—the two dragoon-leaping in unison to impale Ifrit from above.

Despite the situation, Noctis was impressed. Their movements were perfectly matched—as precise and graceful as a circus act. It was as though they had fought together all their lives.

With simultaneous grunts, their polearms made impact—aiming to impale Ifrit's shoulders. It was like hitting solid rock. The force knocked the polearms out of their hands as they tumbled to the ground on either side of Ifrit.

"Are you guys ok," Luna called out urgently. "I need to kill the lights in order to heal you."

"No, don't," Ignis and Aranea called out at the same time, lurching to their feet as gracefully as possible given the recent tumble, only to have to leap aside as Ifrit took another swipe.

Their brief advantage with the light had been ruined.

"Nice try," Cor commented. "Let's go, Gladio," he ordered, as the two of them rushed back into the fray, swords drawn.

Ravus and Noctis followed suit.

"Not sure what I can use here," Prompto commented to Iris. "Graviga would keep him down, but after last time…"

"Yeah, don't," Iris replied. "I'll take more potshots, that is, if you have any hollow points left. I used all mine up."

"Here you go," he replied, sliding a magazine over to her. "Cover fire it is then," Prompto replied ruefully, then began to shoot at Ifrit.

Iris paused reloading her gun, taking stock of the combatants. Ardyn was not fighting—instead he was standing aside, watching the battle with clinical detachment. She hissed in fury and strode over to him.

"Are you going to fight or just stand there like a coward," she commented coldly.

He turned her way, the ever-present derisive smirk on his face.

"Why fight a battle we can't win," he replied.

"So, you are just going to watch us all die," she gasped in horrified fury.

"That is one of the benefits of immortality," he replied dryly.

Iris lifted her gun and pointed it directly at him. "Let's test this immortality of yours," she cried out, ready to unleash hell on him from her rifle.

He calmly reached out and pushed it downward. "We can't win under the current setup," he commented coldly. "That doesn't mean we can't under another one. Since the others are so busy attacking without a plan, it behooves me to come up with one."

That stopped Iris cold. "You mean, you are coming up with a plan?"

"Yes," he replied as though stating the obvious. "Really, what gave you the idea I was up to something nefarious," he commented with mock offense.

"Maybe because you led me to believe you were going to watch everyone die," she snarked back.

He waved his hand dismissively at her comment, continuing to watch Ifrit's movements intently.

Iris watched him too. Daemon Ifrit was not the being he was. In his other form, he fought with the abrupt brute force of a bully—relying on stone punches and fireballs to hurt his foes—and trying to molest them (or at least her), Iris thought again with cold disgust. This Ifrit was, more sinuous. He swirled and flowed like the black mist that surrounded him. Yet he still had the brute strength to absorb their blows like it was nothing.

He was not a being to be reasoned with. He was no longer speaking to them, or even taunting them. It was as though pure instinct had taken over, leaving him with nothing but the desire to kill them all. Not just to kill them—to crush them into dust. She bit her hand to keep from crying out as Gladio rolled aside at the last minute to avoid Ifrit's gigantic foot—narrowly avoiding Ifrit's crushing him beneath his heel.

"I rather believe we have two approaches here," Ardyn drawled beside her. "Either one will be his bane or our doom. Alas, I know not which one is which," he commented seemingly to himself. Then he remembered Iris's existence. "Be a dear and bring Noct and his lady fair over, will you," he asked in a condescending tone that set Iris's teeth on edge.

While she wanted to reply something like "what am I, your maid," back, she knew now wasn't the time. Promising herself she would make him pay for this later, she hurried over to summon the King and his chosen queen.

* * *

"Make it quick," Noctis ordered Ardyn, giving a wary glance back towards the fray. The others were managing to keep Ifrit engaged, but they were making no headway. Luna, currently standing beside Noctis, was straining to keep the light spell directed towards the fighters. It was more difficult from this distance.

Iris, standing beside Luna, had her rifle pointed towards Ifrit. However, she seemed more interested in Ardyn's possible ideas than attempting to land a (useless at this point anyway) hit.

"Of course," Ardyn replied. "As you can see, our current attacks are futile against him."

"No duh," Noctis snapped back. "If you called me and Luna all the way over here just to tell us that…"

"I have two ideas," Ardyn cut in. "However, I believe we can only do one, and if we pick the wrong one, we are all dead."

"What do you mean," Noctis demanded, voice hard.

"Ifrit is now a daemon. A strong daemon. One that regular attacks, no matter how strong, do not work against. We either need to fight fire with fire, so to speak, or fight fire with water."

"He's not an elemental anymore," Luna replied dampeningly.

"Darkness and light are still elements, are they not," Ardyn replied condescendingly.

Noctis, Iris, and Luna glanced back at him, momentarily intrigued.

"There are two ways to dispose of daemons," Ardyn continued. "One is to absorb their power, make them bend to your will. Only someone with the powers of darkness can do that. Someone like myself. We could fight darkness with darkness—I bend him to my will, and will him to destroy himself."

"And what would stop you using that power against us, once you've absorbed him" Luna asked warily.

"Nothing," Ardyn replied. "In addition, it could backfire gloriously. He could absorb me instead—inheriting my immortality and taking on all of my darkness into himself."

"We've already had enough backfire, thanks to me," Iris replied bitterly. "We can't afford any more."

"The alternative," Noctis asked leadingly.

"We fight darkness with light," Ardyn continued. "You use your 'power of light' or whatever ultimate powers you claim to have, and Luna 'heals' daemon Ifrit. Then the daemon is disposed of. With luck, that destroys him completely. Otherwise, he is back to his old self, which you all already defeated so could do again."

"But," Noctis asked warily.

Ardyn glanced to Luna. "How long does a typical healing take?"

"It depends. For a full daemon, I could need hours of direct contact," Luna replied.

"Direct contact while Ifrit is doing his level best to kill us all," Noctis replied in despair.

"And you will have to use all your power on that. No healing us, no fancy lighting of the surroundings," Ardyn added. "Can you stay latched onto him, in the dark, avoiding his attacks until you can complete the healing?"

It always came back to that, Luna thought with despair. It didn't matter the odds. She was the Oracle. She lived, or died, to do the impossible. And what they were asking was impossible. She had never had to heal a daemon god before, let alone one who was actively attacking them. She in truth had no idea how long it would take to heal Ifrit. Maybe if she leveraged Ravus as an amplifier? But then, who would be left to fight him? Ifrit needed to be kept in play as long as possible while she performed the healing, and she would be out of commission the whole time. As Ardyn had said, she couldn't heal the others or do anything else, for who knew how long?

And it was so late now—they were all drained. She had already spent so much energy on other spells. Maybe if they had tried this approach first…there was no use dwelling on that. As usual, dire circumstances had been forced on them, and she had to do her best or die trying.

She was tired of having to make that choice, for all of them to have to make that choice. "Why couldn't Oracles get offensive spells," she wondered in frustration. All she had was healing. And it was a liability without the team's support. What kind of Oracle was she? She should be able to handle Ifrit single-handedly, but instead had to lean on the others like some kind of fragile weakling. How she'd love to be able to say, "stand aside. I can handle it." However, she could not. And she couldn't lie to them. She couldn't say she could do it, as she truly didn't know if she could. But neither could she admit weakness and say she could not. She replied the only way she could.

"I have to," she replied with as much conviction as she could muster.

It wasn't good enough for Noctis. "That doesn't answer the question, Luna," he replied. "Can you do it," he demanded with intense concern.

Damn him! That was one of the bad things about being his lover, his queen, his everything. He knew her all too well. He could see the gaps in her armor.

Her frustration and defensiveness mounting, she snapped back, "Despite it all, I am still only human!"

"Indeed. And you bleed like one too. I know that from firsthand experience," Ardyn cut in tauntingly.

"Back off, Ardyn," Noctis ordered sharply in an attempt to bring things back on point. However, Luna wasn't having it.

He was really going to go there, Luna thought in fury. On top of all of this, Ardyn was going to taunt her about what he had done to her in Altissia? That was the last straw. The goody two shoes—the light and hope to the world, snapped. With a burst of anger that surprised everyone, even Ardyn, she swept forward and slapped Ardyn across the face with a resounding whack that echoed in the rainy night.

His face whipped aside from the impact. Iris gaped, watching the two of them in horrified fascination. Noctis tensed, hand on his sword, ready for some kind of physical retaliation that he would have to defend Luna from.

Ardyn rubbed his attacked cheek bemusedly, but didn't seem like he was going to retaliate. Luna drew back, rubbing her hand, seemingly more shocked at her own reaction at this point than by what he had said.

"Hey! Who turned out the lights," she heard Prompto call out in shock.

"Are you all right, Luna," Ravus demanded, just to grunt as he was forced to block one of Ifrit's attacks.

She glanced guiltily at the battle that had suddenly gone dark when she lost her focus. Her hands shook with the effort, but she managed to get the light going again. She looked on in relief as she saw the others had regrouped somewhere out of Ifrit's range for the moment.

She took a few shuddering breaths to control herself. Her hot temper reverted to cold fury. She turned back to Ardyn. "I know you do," she stated icily. "You stabbed me to death after all. I've tried to forget that in the wake of all of this, but since you brought it up, you should be grateful I just slapped you. Do you really think I would trust someone like you to eradicate the daemon? I would rather risk my own life doing it than stand back and watch you turn this to your advantage."

Ardyn smirked, entertained that he had made even someone as pure as Luna snap for a moment. Corrupting an innocent, even for a moment, was always fun. "Bravo," he exclaimed gleefully. "With that level of spirit, I have no doubts you will put Ifrit in his place. The path of light it is then."

Luna ignored him. Shoulders rigid, she strode forward, ready to lay healing hands onto Ifrit, to end this one and for all whether she could or not. She was stopped by Noctis putting a firm arm around her waist. "Wait, please," he begged. She subsided, for the moment, leaning against him.

"If you ever say stuff like that to Luna again, I will tear you apart with my bare hands," Noctis tossed over his shoulder to Ardyn.

"Understood," Ardyn replied affably, too brightly for somebody who had just been firmly put into his place by both Luna and Noctis.

Iris looked at him suspiciously. "You were goading Luna into rising to the challenge, weren't you," she hissed to him.

Ardyn shrugged. "Does that make you feel better about the whole thing," he asked, archly.

"You really are an asshole," she hissed back.

He ignored her, attention back to Noctis. "Now, Highness," he sneered. "Do we move forward with darkness or light? Oh, and the clock is ticking."

Noctis glanced to Luna, still quivering in reaction to her recent emotions, then back to the fighters. They had managed to reengage Ifrit, but they were making the same tired moves that were swatted back just as before. He had to make a choice. He was king. It was his duty to decide, even if that meant leading everyone he cared about to their deaths.

He couldn't trust Ardyn, that was for sure. However, he couldn't trust Luna right now, either. Or himself if it came down to it. Both paths were flawed. However, they couldn't keep doing what they were doing. They needed to change it up, and either the dark or light plan was better than nothing. Only, which one did they try?

"Ok. Here's what we will do," Noctis finally said, hoping like hell he had made the right choice.


	68. Chapter 68: Episode Ardyn

**Hey Everyone! I was going to wait a bit to post since I don't have anything written after this. However, with the Episode Ardyn prologue anime out (thanks to BarianHunterAlpha for letting me know), I figured I should post-especially since you know who is in it ;-) I do have have some throwaway references to some stuff in the prologue anime-I was subtle with it to avoid spoilers, but just a heads up. Thanks for reading as always.**

* * *

Ardyn didn't need the light. That was one benefit to being one with the dark (again). He didn't need to rely on Luna to see like the others did. Noctis was a fool to make this choice, but despite it all, he was still a young king. He would have to learn from his mistakes.

Ignoring everyone else still fighting as they had been doing before, Ardyn stuck to the shadows. Ifrit's attention was not on him at the moment, which made things so much easier. He moved down the canyon, away from the battle. He needed distance for what he was planning.

Once Ardyn deemed himself to be far enough away, and a good distance behind Ifrit, he struck. He warped forward, sword drawn, leveraging the distance and his speed for the extra force. "The power of darkness," he muttered in his head, a mocking echo of what Noctis had cried out to him in their battle to the death. The sword made contact, impaling Ifrit right in the back, all the way down to the hilt.

A normal foe would be screaming in agony, brought to its knees by such a blow. Not Ifrit. He merely shimmied around, trying to dislodge the sword while still striking at the threats in front of him. He didn't even deem the sword in his back enough of a threat to waste his hands trying to extract it. "What a pity," Ardyn thought mockingly. Ifrit was about to see what a mistake that was.

The open wound was a gap—one that could be exploited. Just as any open would was susceptible to infection, so was his. Ifrit was about to find out how Ardyn had been the embodiment of the Starscourge—at least Ardyn hoped so. If his powers weren't what they were—he didn't deal in ifs. He focused the dark energy around him—the waning moonlight as the rain clouds scuttled in were the perfect mix of light and darkness that he needed. Dark energy could not really glow, but his hands took on the same iridescence as the moonlight as he absorbed the surrounding energy.

Ardyn stepped forward, and dug his hands into Ifrit's wound. Ifrit screamed in pain—an extreme version of the pain one feels when pouring antiseptic on an open wound. Darkness swirled around them both in a vortex that drew them both in.

* * *

Ardyn landed on his knees. Even he, who did his best to avoid being caught off-guard, was momentarily bemused at where he was. He was standing in what appeared to be a volcanic crater. The layer of black hardened magma at his feet was cracking ominously, like thin ice, revealing veins of the hellish red beneath. There was no visible rim, entrance, or exit. Everything more than 20 feet away was shrouded in darkness.

Ardyn was not alone in this darkness. He could see the shadowy form, its back to him, at the edge of the darkness. He'd have to be careful. If that form entered the darkness, Ardyn would lose it, and the battle, forever. There was no way he could sneak up on his prey. No matter how much he tried to step carefully, the magma cracked, announcing his presence.

The veins of magma spread, bequeathing more sullen light onto the space. It didn't extend past the shadow barrier, but it was enough to illuminate his partner in the darkness. As the sullen light extended, the being turned. Ardyn was facing Ifrit, in his Belenus form. Human again, skin tanned and healthy to go with his burnished red hair, his red-brown glare clashing with Ardyn's—he was a more dangerous foe than the monster they faced outside. Ardyn had his work cut out for him.

"I confess I am surprised," Ardyn drawled mockingly. "For a being who hates humans so much, I would not expect you to choose to be human in your mental realm. At least, I assume that is where we are," he added offhandedly.

"You are mistaken," Belenus hissed. "This is my prison."

"Really? It seems to be you are being treated remarkably well. You even get to wear elegant clothes here. I couldn't even sport a shirt when I was imprisoned for 2000 years," Ardyn commented with exaggerated self-pity.

Belenus looked down at his "elegant" clothes, surveying his charcoal gray suit, black dustcoat, and emerald silk cravat combo derisively. His derisiveness extended further as he sized up Ardyn's normal pinstripe suit, gray paisley hooded cloak, and fedora combo. "Flattery is useless on me, Izunia," he lectured mockingly.

"Oh, I did not mean it that way," Ardyn replied just as mockingly. "My tastes differ, in people and fashion."

"I am not a _person,_ " Belenus spat back. "I am a _God!_ "

"Oh, I know," Ardyn replied smoothly, every inch the slimy courtier now. "That is why I said my tastes differ in 'people'. I dislike Gods even more."

Belenus fingered a black obsidian sword at his side. "Why are you here," he snarled.

"If you did not want me here, you should not have become a daemon," Ardyn replied affably. "You know my powers, what I can do to daemons. Need I remind you: In an age long past, an incurable scourge ravaged mankind. A tiny menace that twisted men into monsters, the likes of which you've seen. In Lucis lived a savior that could cure the afflicted. His body would come to host myriad daemons, that countless lives be spared."

"You now possess that incurable scourge. You say you are not a human, but you managed to twist into a monster just like men of old. That gives me the power to enter your mind, commune with the daemons, and master them. I shall host your daemons. I shall wring them from you."

Belenus laughed. A brittle, bitter cackle. "You are not the man you were. What powers do you have left? You were once host to thousands of daemons, each giving you their powers. You had sleep spells, the ability to appear and disappear at will, the ability to withstand even Shiva's wrath. You lost all of that when Noctis destroyed you. You had 2000 years of experience, lost in an instant! All you have now is the very short time you've had since your return to life. Do you really think that the random bit of 'leveling up' you've had will be enough against me?"

"Let's see," Ardyn counted on his fingers—a mocking tally of the powers he still had, or had recently regained. "I have sleep, stone, daemon healing of course, shapeshifting, warping, plus immortality. I think that is plenty to work with," he drawled.

Belenus actually gaped in shocked outrage. "You just, told me, your mortal enemy, the foe who will grind you into dust, all of the tricks you have in your repertoire? How dumb are you?"

Ardyn merely smirked back. "If you are as much of a God as you claim, you should know all that I possess anyway. And if you didn't, then you must not be that Godlike and are therefore easier to defeat." He drew his sword. "Let us end this charade. If you are such a God, prove it. Strike an immortal like me down!"

Belenus lunged. Ardyn blocked the obsidian sword with his own red-energy-infused blade. The impact was enough to draw sparks that fell into the magma cracks to be absorbed into the fiery heat below. Even in his human form, Belenus still struck with the raw power of Ifrit. The strikes forced Ardyn to brace his feet firmly into the ground—too firmly as he felt the magma crack. Molten lava oozed up around the cracks, eating holes through the leather of his boots.

Evidently, immortality in a battle against a God didn't free one from pain. The feeling of magma on Ardyn's feet still hurt like hell.

If he was fully immersed in the lava, it would be too painful to escape, even if immortal. He would be effectively trapped in it forever. Ardyn tensed as the obsidian sword slipped past his guard, impaling his chest. He gasped a moment as his collapsed blood-filled lung healed and re-inflated in the rapid healing that only immortality could give him.

Even if he could not be killed in battle, there were too many ways he could lose. If he fell into the lava, Belenus would win. If Belenus retreated into the darkness, Belenus would win. And in either case, Noctis, and the world would lose. The only way Ardyn won was if he was able to defeat Belenus here, now, without him retreating.

Noctis had chosen to fight darkness with darkness. And it could very likely mean their doom.

* * *

The canyon was eerily calm. The black vortex was an effective barrier, keeping Ifrit away from them for the time being. But, how long would it last? How long did they have? Did he make the right choice, Noctis wondered. Should he have trusted Ardyn? Every instinct told him not to. However, what choices did they have?

Desperate times, desperate measures floated through his mind. It was at times like this that he hated being king. He hated making the hard choices, having to sometimes compromise his principles, for the greater good. He was secretly frightened of losing himself in the royal trappings. He was terrified of having to make so many choices for "the greater good" that he ended up turning away from all he held sacred—becoming a shady asshole like Ardyn or Emperor Aldercapt in the process.

Noctis didn't want to lose himself in the sacrifices of becoming king. And right now, watching his allies try to nurse their wounds, watching the dark vortex in unease, he felt that he had lost himself. He had to trust in a man whom he never should have trusted. And if that man failed, or betrayed them, the world was doomed, and it was all his fault.

He clenched his hands on his sword. He had to have faith in them all. Even Ardyn. This had to work.

* * *

There was no headway being made in Ardyn's duel with Belenus. Belenus matched every strike—countering with brutal force. Ardyn's hands were sweating on his sword from the effort—even his fingers felt stiff, locked against the hilt of his sword forever. How long could he keep this up, he wondered. Would he be able to claim Ifrit's daemons for his own? What type of power would he obtain from them if he did?

"Give it up, Ardyn," Belenus sneered, striking again with a force that sent Ardyn sliding back towards the dark edges of their magma arena. "You cannot defeat me, even with your immortality."

"You missed it," Ardyn taunted. "You had the perfect opportunity to say, 'you can't win against a God.' I am very disappointed in you."

Belenus hissed in rage, and lunged again. Ardyn warped aside to stay towards the center of the arena. Being propelled into the dark edges would do him no favors. He had to stand his ground. He took heart in the fact that at least Belenus wasn't looking to retreat. He evidently figured he would win the battle eventually, and he may be right.

That thought filled Ardyn with cold fury. He refused to lose to Ifrit—to these so-called Gods who did nothing but meddle into the affairs of humans. Ones who watched the daemons ravage the land and do nothing about it, leaving him and his brother to step up to clean up their mess.

His brother—Ardyn bit his lip in anger. He had studiously avoided thinking about that backstabbing fiend ever since his return. While much of what he had told his "new allies" was true, at least regarding his motives for keeping Ifrit and the crystal in check, he couldn't deny the visceral satisfaction he had felt when he and Noctis slew each other at the supposed end of the darkness—it was like he were finally getting his long overdue revenge on Aiden, oh wait, _Somnus_. It was actually a blessing that his brother had taken on a new name after they had vied for the position of king and things had gone wrong. He could pretend that Somnus was a different man, not the brother whom he had loved throughout childhood.

Damn him, Ardyn thought in frustration as he leaped aside to avoid another blow from Ifrit. Even now that bastard could reach through time to break him, it seemed. Just thinking about him distracted Ardyn enough to nearly get impaled again by his foe. Not that it would have killed him, but it would still hurt, and he was tired of pain.

He was tired of cleaning up the very mess that the Gods should have taken care of themselves. The same beings who created the crystal to destroy humans in the first place. And Ifrit was the worst of all. The others at least were unbiased—supporting humans in the most warped way possible, but still attempting it. Ifrit just had a vendetta.

Ardyn knew what he was. He knew his failings as a human being. He knew he had done things that were reprehensible and unforgivable. He had gone down the rabbit hole of doing things for the greater good until it had corrupted him, making him unfit for humanity. Everyone rightfully hated him—he did not fault them for it. He could never have a woman like Aranea, or indeed, any pure and good woman who had ever captured his attention. He winced at that—remembering _her_. A name and face unblurred after 2000 years. A relic from the past that needed to stay buried or else he'd go mad. He didn't need these memories. In the end he didn't know what drove him—had he really had salvation for the world in mind all this time, or was it purely revenge he had wanted for the betrayal and loss he had faced? A man like him was unfit to be a father. Lux deserved better-someone like Ignis who would only want the best for him.

That didn't mean that Ardyn had abandoned humankind though. Lux deserved a future—whether he became hero or villain was up to him. However, Ardyn had to give him the chance to decide for himself. With the fury of a frustrated, bitter man, combined with the righteousness he had once fully possessed, Ardyn struck, sliding past Belenus's guard to slash his throat.

Fiery lava spewed out of the gash—Belenus's equivalent of blood. The cravat at his throat turned to ash from the heat and dropped away. Ardyn took a smug split second to gloat to himself that he had been able to mar Belenus's outfit. At least they were now partially even for the burnt boots and the various slashes and scorch marks Ifrit had given his clothes. And Ardyn had to admit, revenge against Ifrit and crystal felt pretty satisfying.

Belenus took a moment to clutch his throat with his hand—he couldn't believe he was bleeding his own blood, and had to feel it to believe it. This was the break Ardyn needed. He slashed again from the other side, that cut intersecting the first. Ardyn watched in shocked triumph as Belenus's head slid off his neck at the same time his body crumpled, both (now separate) pieces landing on the ground with a hollow thud.

Decapitating a God—now that was something new for his battle history, Ardyn thought, then began chuckling hysterically. Like a pirate claiming his plunder, he bent to extract the daemons from the crumpled body, eager to see what kind of powers were his for the taking.

Except, the body was not crumpled. Like liquid metal, or molten rock, the body and head began melting, fusing together, to once more become one. Belenus sat up, gasping. For once in his life, Ardyn was frozen with shock and temporary fear. The tables were turned. Belenus reached out, grabbing Ardyn's throat, and slamming him into the ground with enough force to break the rock. Ardyn couldn't help but cry out in pain as the molten lava seared his back.

Belenus knelt down, gazing at Ardyn in gloating triumph. He leaned closer, too close to Ardyn's way of thinking. "You can't win against a God," Belenus whispered tauntingly in his ear.

Ardyn saw the ray of light appear above them, like the sun peeking behind the clouds. His shoulders sagged in relief—just to stiffen again as they made more contact with the lava. "Who said I was looking to win," he taunted.

"What," Belenus exclaimed, as the ray of light hit him full on. The shadows surrounding them began receding.

"Luna has her uses after all," Ardyn mused, as he fought free of the rock temporarily imprisoning him.

He stood watching as Belenus's form reverted back to Ifrit's—any traces of shadows melting away.

Now it was time to leave. Ardyn glanced at the beam of light coming through the ceiling, then used that as his exit. With his waning strength, he warped through the light to return to the real world.

* * *

"A little more, Ravus," Luna ordered breathlessly.

"I'm running on empty here, sister," Ravus replied with gritted teeth.

He had never thought he would be forced to give "a hug" to the enemy, but this is what it basically was. He had had to warp Luna up to Ifrit's neck so she could put her arms around him for maximum contact. As she put it, if she had light energy coming from her hands and arms together, she could heal the daemons faster, even if it burnt out her energy faster.

Due to the diameter of Ifrit's neck, Luna's arm span wasn't wide enough to enclose it, so Ravus had to reach around from the back—his hands on Luna's to serve as an energy booster as he had done to heal Iris.

He could not see Iris outside the dark vortex—he had to hope that everyone on that side was safe. He could only keep tabs on Luna and Noctis, who was spending his time holding Luna up so she would not lose her grip and slide down Ifrit's massive rain-slicked body.

Ardyn was, elsewhere, it seemed. Ravus wasn't sure where the vortex took him, or how Ardyn's powers worked. However, he had to grudgingly admit, they had come in handy. He hadn't thought Ardyn could keep Ifrit distracted long enough for this whole plan to work, but he had underestimated him.

"Leave it to a King to attempt a compromise," Ardyn had taunted when Noctis first revealed his plan. Ravus had even agreed with Ardyn when he had heard it. It had seemed a sop since Noctis couldn't decide what sacrifice to make against Ifrit.

There was a method to the madness though. As Noctis had replied to Ardyn, "you said yourself: both light and darkness plans have their risks, so why not use both to mitigate them."

"Or we compound the risks," Iris interjected uneasily in reply.

"We need time for Luna to perform the healing rite on him," Noctis replied. "What better distraction than to have Ardyn try to extract the daemons? Ifrit will be so focused on that that we may have enough time to attack him with light."

"And what's to stop Ardyn from making things worse," Aranea replied, warily.

"And how do we know he can stall Ifrit for that long," Ignis interjected.

"Your confidence in me warms my heart," Ardyn replied mockingly. "At least you aren't asking what happens if I betray you. I am so glad you finally trust me on that front."

"He's coming for us," Gladio commented sharply, gesturing to the rapidly charging Ifrit. Cor blocked the move, but it was temporary at best.

"It's too bad this isn't a video game," Prompto quipped. "Otherwise, this would be our turn to attack, and he'd be waiting on us to finish our plan before attacking."

Aranea just rolled her eyes and returned to battle. Ignis, not wanting her to fight without his help, did the same.

Noctis gave a pointed look to Ardyn. "Ardyn, can you stall him long enough for Luna to heal him," he demanded.

"It depends on how efficient the lovely Oracle is, Your Highness," he replied. "However, you can be sure I will do my part."

Noctis fixed his gaze to Luna. "Can you heal Ifrit quickly?"

"With Ravus's help, and spending the entirety of my powers on that, I may be able to half the normal healing time," Luna stated with the confidence of someone who knew what she was doing.

"It will do," Noctis replied. "Ardyn, you go in first and engage him. As soon as you're in, Luna and Ravus will start."

"Very well. However, what happens if I am successfully able to extract the daemons from him before Miss Luna completes her healing," Ardyn asked archly.

Noctis gave him a level look. "Then it means that our light/dark combo plan is overkill, but still works. Now, let's go."

And that plan had worked. The black mist swirling around Ifrit was fading away. The feral glow left his eyes, returning to his normal gaze.

"Pull back, Ravus," Noctis ordered, grabbing Luna and warping back to a safe distance.

Before Ravus could begin to warp away, he was stuck with a jarring impact. It took him a moment to realize what had happened. Ardyn had emerged from Ifrit's body, knocking Ravus to the ground in the process. And was evidently sitting on Ravus's beleaguered chest.

"Get, off of me, Ardyn," Ravus ground out.

Ardyn complied as quickly as he could, then turned to offer his hand to the prone Ravus. "Oh, my apologies," Ardyn sneered sarcastically. "I do hope I didn't just rebreak your ribs."

Ravus didn't even grace that sally with a reply, but was staring at the shredded cuff of Ardyn's offered sleeve. He sized up the remaining burns and holes in Ardyn's cloak. "What the hell happened to you," Ravus replied instead.

Ardyn chuckled. "How apropos. It indeed was hell, of a sort anyway. Would you rather hear tales of how I felled the foe from the inside, or would you rather assist the others in taking him down here and now?"

That brought Ravus back to business. Now that the black vortex was gone, he could see the others reengaging the now non-daemon Ifrit. Iris was back providing cover fire and evidently needed help. He surged to his feet and sprinted forward, ready to engage.

Ardyn hung back, alongside Luna who had plopped down to the ground in exhaustion. It had taken all of her strength to remove the daemons, and she was certainly feeling it.

"Your face is as white as your gown," Ardyn commented.

"And yours is scalded," she replied. "Unfortunately, I cannot cure that, just yet," she added weakly.

"Cure _me_ ," Ardyn replied with a chuckle. "You need curing yourself."

Luna merely tossed her head impatiently, spraying residual rainwater around like a wet dog. She bit her lip in annoyance.

Ardyn batted away the residual drops that struck him during her gesture. "My, my, you are drenched," he replied, surveying her soaked dress.

"I'm fine," she replied, with gritted teeth.

"Except that your white dress is so wet that it's nearly transparent," Ardyn added dryly.

"What," Luna replied, flustered, staring down at her dress and, realizing he was correct, began frantically plucking at the clinging folds to keep them from sticking too closely to her body.

"Relax, Ardyn replied. "It is so dark, the only one who can see you that well is me. Well, Ifrit could have, were he still a daemon, but you took care of that."

"That doesn't make me feel better," she replied with asperity, and folded her arms across her chest protectively.

Ardyn took pity on her, removing his singed cloak and handing it to her with a flourish.

"It is a bit, er marred, and wet too, I'm afraid. However, if it makes you feel better, you are welcome to it," Ardyn commented coolly. "Besides, I have a spare," he added, and with his shapeshifting spell, his frayed and burnt clothing was replaced with an unblemished set. He healed himself at the same time, his burnt skin reverting to normal. "See, there are benefits to the dark," he replied dryly. "You should try it sometime, my dear."

"I am happy with the light, thank you very much," Luna replied coolly, but took his old cloak to cover herself with, only to wince as the back of the cloak ripped even further. It was so burnt on the back that it was only staying together by threads. Still, it was an extra layer for however long it lasted.

"Light won't help heal you when you are already drained. Allow me," Ardyn replied.

Luna tensed for a moment, nervous about what Ardyn may have in mind. To her surprise, he tossed an elixir her way. "I do hope this makes us even for what happened in Altissia," Ardyn oozed.

Not by a longshot, but Luna was not about to say that. She merely resorted to a regal "thank you," and returned to the battle.

Ardyn didn't follow. Messing with Ifrit's mind and the daemons within had taken a lot out of him. The memories that had surfaced didn't help things either. Besides, he had seen Noct and his comrades in action in the past as they handled Ifrit—they didn't need him now.

He stood back, for once a silent spectator to the battle.


	69. Chapter 69: Bolt Fishing

**Hey everyone! Been awhile I know. I was waiting for Episode Ardyn to give me some more big reveals and story fodder. Alas, I didn't get as much out of it as I hoped. Still a very solid expansion though if you haven't played it yet. Anyway, on the story front, I don't think mine will be Episode Ardyn compliant-I may be able to fit in some pieces of it, but I think I've moved too far beyond what cannon decided on Ardyn's motivations. On that note, here is the next chapter. Hope you enjoy and for those continuing to follow, thanks for your patience. Hope to have more out soon.**

* * *

"Welp, that's all the arm rests," Cid commented after unbolting the final metal beam from the airship seat.

Holly surveyed their bounty with a critical eye. "I don't think it will be very tall, but it's all we've got," she commented.

"You thinkin' we should wait to see what Cindy and Talcott come up with," Cid asked.

"I think we should reserve what they find for our ocean to engine connection," Holly replied. "For that, we need a longer distance since we are going along the ground and have to reach the ocean. Whatever we put up for the roof one may still catch a bolt or two even if it's not super high."

"Let's attach 'em then," Cid stated. "Lemme take this here roll of duct tape then climb up to the roof. Then you hand the arm rests up to me one at a time, and I will stack 'em."

"I don't think that's a good idea," Holly replied. "With you on the roof too you may become our lightning rod instead."

"Damn! You're right! Although, I guess if I haveta go, might as well be that way. Blaze of glory savin' the team and all of that," Cid commented matter of factly.

"Nobody is martyring themselves today," Holly replied repressively. "We tape them together down here then one of us goes up for a very short time to put it up. Although, duct tape won't hold it to the roof."

"It will, if we do something like this," Cid countered, undoing the bolts holding one of the seats in, giving them one of the seating panels to use. "We bolt this to the end of the arm rests and it becomes our base. Then we duct tape the hell out of it to hold up. The extra metal will only help us."

"Not sure how sturdy it will be, but it's what we've got," Holly replied. "Makes sense to me. Now, we just need a way to run it all to the engine itself. I wish we had extra wire to use. There's gotta be some extraneous circuits around here we can borrow from, but without knowing what each one does, I'm kinda stumped."

Cid felt around his clothes. "The zipper of my coat," he exclaimed. "It's metal and thin so we could run it like a wire. I can cut it off real good and easy."

Holly scanned his weather-beaten red leather jacket. "You have a metal zipper on that thing? All my clothes have cheap plastic ones."

"Shore does! Every time I go through a metal detector and forget to take off, it blares like a sonofabitch! It's built to last. Real leather too. Not that plastic vinyl crap they make nowadays."

"That explains why it looks as old as it does," Holly commented dryly. "It's hard to cut through leather though. Pleather would be much easier," she added archly.

"Pshaw! My Swiss Army Knife will take care of it no problem," Cid replied brightly. Adding action to the words, and ignoring the fact that his coat probably had sentimental value to him, he began hacking away at it to extract the zipper as though it were a piece of scrap cloth.

"Looks like we're ready to go," Cid commented after the preparation work was completed. "I'll climb on up. You hand this wobbly thing to me after I'm up there."

"Maybe, I should go up," Holly replied tentatively, not wanting him to hurt his back, or to admit that was why she was offering.

"Eh, I've got it," he replied, clambering out the door and using the tiny metal pitons on the side of the ship to climb up to the roof before Holly could stop him. She was glad they had not decided to use those pieces as well. That would have made getting up to the roof very dicey indeed. She winced when she heard another crash of thunder—any one she heard could be a signal that Cid had been struck up there.

"Hand that bad boy up to me," Cid finally replied, indicating that he was in place. She complied, hands tense as she tried to control the long, wobbly device. It was like those contests where you had to carry a stack of cups without them toppling. And this time, if it toppled, they'd have to rebuild it, while Cid was temporarily a possible lightning rod himself. It was a relief when she felt the top of the rod stabilize. Cid evidently had it.

"Hoo doggy," he commented once he had the full brunt of it—evidently facing the same wobbling issues she was having.

"It needs both of us," Holly said. "I will tape the base if you hold it." She climbed to the roof using the same route Cid had, tensing as she felt the cold rain on her back. Being out in the storm without even a flimsy roof as protection was unnerving. The thunder sounded louder, sharper. There was nothing to muffle the sound or to protect her should lightning hit. She focused on her task, ripping off long pieces of tape, willing them not to stick to themselves, then struggled to attach them to the wet surface. She used the old trick of putting layer upon layer of tape in the hopes that more would make it stick more and longer. They didn't need it to hold long—just enough for one strike.

"That should do it," she replied, watching the tape take hold and rising the makeshift pole out of Cid's reach.

"Not just yet," Cid replied, bending to tie the zipper wire to the bottom of the pole, then trailing it down through the roof to make sure the other end would reach the fingerprint scanner. "Once we've got this bad boy attached to the panel, we'll be good to go, as long as the rod holds," Cid added.

He and Holly squinted in the rain, willing the lightning rod to stay standing. It appeared to be holding, even if it swayed in the wind a bit.

"It's the best we've got," Cid said. "Let's get inside and attach the wire before we're zapped."

Holly clambered back down to attach the zipper wire, fingers crossed that they had enough slack to connect it where it needed to go. To her immense relief, they had just enough zipper, and she was able to connect it to the fingerprint panel with no issues.

It was only when they were settled back in and drying off that Holly realized that Cid had not complained about his back once—even after climbing onto the roof of the airship, coatless in the rain. She supposed it took adrenaline to really put things into perspective.

They didn't have enough materials for the ocean wire. She had to hope Cindy and Talcott found enough materials in their foray.

* * *

The empty inlet was forlorn in the rainy darkness. Even moonlight had forsaken it in the rain. It was only through the rays of their flimsy flashlights that Cindy and Talcott could see their way around. To add to the danger, they had selected to search an inlet where the water had temporarily receded. It looked like a prime place to find shipwrecks and, consequently, metal scraps. The water would be back soon though. They could hear the waves hissing ominously a short distance away like a snake poised to strike.

With that to worry about, Cindy and Talcott were ignoring the thunder and lightning. Luckily for them, it seemed more interested in striking the water than them. They had to hurry though in case that situation changed.

"It just looks like a wasteland," Talcott ventured, raying his flashlight around the empty sandstrewn space.

"There's got to be something here," Cindy replied. "This coast has always been shipwreck city. And a place like this is prime for stuff."

Talcott sighed in resignation. "Ok. Just make it fast."

"I'm workin' on it," she replied, doing an additional scan of the area with the flashlight. "There," she exclaimed, spotting an object in the distance. She hurried over to it, shoes squishing in the sodden sand. It was strange how the sand could be wet yet offer no hydration or life to anything in this barren desert, Cindy thought to herself as she approached the shadowy shape.

"Be careful," Talcott ordered.

"No kiddin'," Cindy returned, finally getting a better look at the object.

It was a metal crate. It had evidently once been green, but now the chunks of paint were hanging loosely off the sides in leaf-like sheets, having been beaten loose by the alternating churning water and blistering heat. Cindy scanned the metal beneath. This is what they would need to mess with to get anything out of it.

"What do you think," Talcott asked her.

"Welp, it ain't rusted through yet. But it's rusted enough that it's probably like tissue paper against a crowbar." She gave a leading glance to the crowbar Talcott was carrying around as part tool/part weapon.

He got the hint and approached the crate. "Here goes nothin'," he replied, poised to pry at it.

"Careful, Talcott. You hurt yourself, we can't do nothin' 'bout it."

"Got it," Talcott replied, and smacked at the metal with all his strength.

The sound of metal scraping on metal was enough to make them both wince. It was worse than nails on a chalkboard. They were rewarded with a panel giving way that Talcott was already pointing his flashlight into.

"Holy shit," Talcott exclaimed in shocked horror. Cindy hurried to peer over his shoulder, just to experience the same horror. The cargo had evidently once been people, not objects. The bottom of the crate was littered with skeletons. Many still had bony hands clutching what was let of their throats, hinting at the horrible fate that had befallen them.

"W, why would there be bodies in a crate," Talcott asked Cindy in horrified curiosity.

"I don't want to speculate," Cindy whispered, only to break off with a gasp. "Did you hear that," she asked Talcott sharply.

"The thing that sounds like wooden wind chimes," Talcott asked for clarification.

"Not what I would have used to describe it, but, yeah," Cindy returned.

The hollow clattering sound occurred again, audible over the hiss of the waves and the rumbles of the storm. The source had to be close to them for them to hear it. Close as in from the crate…

The huddled bones began to shift, finding their parts of the whole. The bones became full skeletons, rising from the ground awkwardly, like puppets being pulled by invisible strings. The numerous skulls turned as one, their hollow eye sockets fixing upon the invaders of their tomb. And began advancing forward.

"Oh, hell no," Talcott cried out, and began preparing his thousand needles spell.

"No, look," Cindy replied sharply, gesturing around them. The tide was coming in. The area would be ocean again in a matter of minutes. If they stopped to try to fight, they would drown.

"Run," she ordered, and began sprinting over the sandy muck. Running in sand was always difficult. With wet sand added to the mix, it was like running through wet concrete. It was too slow, but they dared not look back to see whether the skeletons or the tide would get them first. Cindy wasn't sure if the panel they had opened was big enough to allow the skeletons to escape, but it wasn't like she was going to stop to check.

It was like the nightmares where one was being chased. You knew they were right behind you but no matter how hard you tried, your run was always too sluggish. Talcott stumbled to his knees, his shoe having gotten caught in the squishy sand. Cindy yanked him up by his wrist with strength born of Adrenalin and did not let go. That split second decision probably saved his life. The skeletons were far too close and evidently could escape from the crate. Cindy screamed and flailed as she felt a bony hand grab her shoulder. She kicked behind her, blindly, and was rewarded by a shattering sound as her undead assailant collapsed from the impact.

There was no sound but the hissing waves, the ominous clacking, and the ragged sound of Cindy and Talcott's breathing as they did their best to sprint, hand in hand, inland. They didn't stop when they reached dry sand. They kept going until the felt the rocks, untouched by water for millions of years, beneath them. Winded and beyond terror, they finally turned around to see what horrors awaited them.

The skeletons were gone, having been consumed by the waves once more. The inlet where Cindy and Talcott had discovered them had disappeared, now part of the ocean. Now that the water was back, lightning was striking at it once more. It was like the horrible episode had never happened.

"Do you think they will be back," Talcott asked fearfully, after he and Cindy gave each other a once-over to make sure they were ok.

"I have no idea," Cindy replied breathlessly. "I don't want to be here when the tide goes out again. I, think we need to scuttle this mission. What do you think?"

"Totally," Talcott agreed with alacrity. "Let's go back to the ship and see what Holly and Cid came up with."

The two admitted defeat and returned empty-handed.

* * *

"Well ain't you two a sight for sore eyes! Y'all ok," Cid asked as soon as Cindy and Talcott splashed back into the airship, exhausted from their aborted recovery mission.

"Not really. We got into a spot of trouble and had to run away. We got nothin'," Cindy replied in frustration.

"Yer alive. All that matters," was all Cid replied. "We got a good setup here if that lightning does its damned job."

"Do you think the zipper wire will work," Holly asked uncertainly.

"No way to know till we got a bite," Cid countered.

"Sorry 'bout your coat, Pops," Cindy added, noticing for the first time Cid's cut up coat that he had sacrificed for their mission.

"Eh well. Time for another anyway."

"What do we do now," Talcott asked the group at large.

"We wait. With all that lightning we should git somethin' soon," Cid replied.

"I hope so. There are so many ways this could go wrong," Cindy replied uneasily.

"With all the bad stuff that's happened we're about due for a break, wouldn't you say," Cid replied bracingly.

Perhaps he tempted fate, or somebody was listening. On the heels of that very comment, a deafening crash sounded above, causing the entire ship to shake. The strike was so fast they didn't even see it travel down the wire. The only way they knew it happened was the scorch mark that now covered the side of the security box.

"We got somethin'," Cid replied, hurrying over to take a look.

"Careful," Cindy ordered.

Cid approached the box and poked it with a stick. "It ain't electrified," he concluded. "Looks shorted to me."

"The only way we know for sure is by opening the panel," Holly replied.

"If it's live or another strike comes, you're in a world of hurt," Cindy cautioned.

"I've dealt with worse odds in the reactor," Holly countered, hurrying to do her part.

Cindy stayed back, watching her with a terrified look that said she fully expected to see Holly fried to a crisp. With steady hands and a calm nerve, Holly undid the screws holding the panel on to see what lay beneath.

"Fried wires," she said in glee. "Now I've got something to work with."

Cid hurried to remove the zipper wire. Talcott took it upon himself to climb to the roof and take down the lightning rod. He figured it was the least he can do to make up for the failure before.

"Now we just havta hope the fried wires just hit the security circuit and not everything else," Cindy commented darkly.

"Don't jinx it," Holly ordered, poking around at the circuits with a hairpin to see what lit up.

"Ok," she replied after quite a bit of examination. "Here is the security circuit. If I pull it out, it should be gone for good." She was able to pry out everything with the tools they had on hand, then rerouted the wires to bypass the gap.

"Do you know yet if we managed to melt everything or just the security circuit," Cid asked, hovering over Holly's shoulder to see what she was doing.

"Only one way to find out," Holly replied, and stuck a hairpin between two wires. With a zap and some sparks, the ship's engine revved up.

"Hot dog," Cindy exclaimed. "You did it again, Holly."

Holly gave a humble smile. "It's these wires here," she pointed out to the group. "Now any of us can start it if we have to. We don't need a specific fingerprint."

"Works for me," Cid replied. "Now we jest haveta worry about the damned thing flying right when we take off. We know ignition works, but who knows what the lightning did to the steering or acceleration circuits?"

Holly sighed. Leave it to Cid to never be satisfied with a solution until every angle had been looked at. "I can run diagnostics on that too, now that I know more or less what's what in the circuit panel," she said, returning to the panel to do more troubleshooting.

The rest of the group hovered over her shoulder, asking questions, offering advice. She was ready to snap at them to leave her alone, but she understood that it gave them something to focus on. Something to occupy their minds to keep from worrying about the others. Cindy and Talcott seemed to need that outlet for sure. They hadn't said much about what had happened out there, but the strained looks on their faces hinted at something awful. If she could provide "entertainment", so to speak, for the moment, then that is what she would do. Otherwise, they would all go mad.


	70. Chapter 70: It is going to be all right

**Happy May everyone! I'm slowly but surely continuing the adventures of our pals. Thanks for sticking with it and hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Noctis surveyed the now non-daemon Ifrit. He looked the same now as he had in Insomnia. And they had been able to beat him in Insomnia. But they had been at full strength then…he had to look at the positive. And there were some points of hope. Other than Luna and Ardyn, who were taking a well-deserved break from the action, everyone was still in fighting form.

Cor and Gladio worked almost as one—their swords lashing out at Ifrit almost simultaneously. Aranea and Ignis were a solid team as well. A battle couple, Noctis thought in amusement. Even Prompto and Iris had paired off to provide cover fire to the up-close fighters. They were such good shots that there was no risk of them hitting the others. Ravus, currently the odd man out, was hovering near Iris and Prompto to protect them in case Ifrit decided to face off against the ranged fighters.

The weather, such as it was, had improved too. Without a daemon god, the rain had stopped, and the moon had returned from behind the inky clouds. They had moonlight to guide their way now.

Noctis had to join the fray—he couldn't stand by while the others did his fighting for him. However, they needed a plan. And he couldn't think that far ahead. He gave a wistful glance to Ardyn, currently surveying the battle at Lux and Agneya's side—for all his faults that bastard sure knew how to play the long game, Noctis thought with grudging respect. For one second, it actually crossed Noctis's mind to consult him regarding their next move. He shook his head in disgust. He could well imagine Ardyn's reaction if he did—and turning to the man who had cost him everything was unacceptable. Although, Noctis would swallow his pride and do it if it would do any good and save his friends. But he plain could not trust Ardyn. It always came back to that.

"Kings don't lead by standing still. Isn't that how the saying goes," Ravus interjected coldly from beside him.

"We still need a plan. And I'm out of ideas," Noctis replied dejectedly. "The last time we had Shiva to deal the finishing blow. We don't have that this time."

Ravus sighed. "What about Agneya? She has her mother's powers, does she not?"

Noctis's face hardened. "Do you honestly expect me to force a baby to fight? Or to make her kill her own father? What kind of bastard do you think I am?" His eyes narrowed. "You aren't Ardyn in disguise, are you? Only he would think of something like that."

Ravus shook his head and pointed to where Ardyn was, still standing beside Lux and Agneya. "Good answer," he replied. "I would have thought much less of you if you had thought using an innocent child to achieve victory was a good idea. And I would not have let you."

Noctis raked his hand through his already mussed hair in frustration. "So that was a test I passed then? Thanks for wasting my time."

Ravus shrugged off the comment. "It is not nor can it be exactly the same as it was in your last battle with the Infernian. However, for what it's worth, you have more men on your side."

"Women too," Luna spoke up firmly from behind them.

"I meant 'men' as in 'troops'," Ravus replied defensively.

Luna's hand rested gently on Noctis's tense shoulder. "I think, with all that all that we have accomplished, we don't need the Gods at all," she commented.

Noctis's head slew towards the Oracle in surprise. "I never thought I'd hear you say that," he replied.

Luna shook her head. "I'm sorry. I suppose that's sacrilegious to say, especially coming from me. And, they did give us this second chance—" she broke off as Noctis put a gentle finger to her lips.

"As they are the ones that cut our lives short in the first place, I don't see that second chance as a gift," Noctis stated. "And you are right. We have been playthings of theirs for far too long. We can do this without them.".

Ravus sighed impatiently. "Even with what we have this time, we can't keep fighting willy nilly. We need to align ourselves to a common goal, or we will die here. And that path is up for a King to decide. Oh, and by the way, since you are more less married to Luna, rule over Tenebrae has passed to me. Ergo, I'm a King now too. Would you prefer me to lead us in this," he taunted.

"Ravus," Luna interjected, appalled that he would bring that up now. Ravus ignored her, continuing to glare at Noctis.

Noctis raised his head sharply at the challenge. "I have beaten Ifrit before. I have more insight into how to do it than you, 'Highness'," Noctis replied boldly.

"Then, what are your orders, 'Your Majesty,'" Ravus countered, arms folded, goading Noctis into stepping up.

Noctis did a quick inventory of his team and their strengths and weaknesses.

Hey, Ignis, Prompto," he called out sharply over the din of battle.

They heard him despite all the noise and sprinted over. "Whassup, Noct," Prompto asked for the both of them.

Noctis glanced towards Ignis first. "How much control do you have over your spelldaggers," he asked him.

"Less than I normally would due to the length of this fight. However, I can still use them."

"I want you to charge up your ice daggers to make the strongest possible attack you can make," Noctis stated. "Can you do that?"

"You are thinking quality over quantity? One large ice blow," Ignis asked, grasping the gist of Noctis's request.

"Uh huh."

"I have some ideas. If you would permit me to stay out of the battle for a bit?"

"Ravus and I will take your place," Noctis replied. "Prompto, does your rocket launcher still work?"

"Yeah, but I'm out of ammo for it."

"What if you used ice flasks?"

"You mean, shoot Ifrit with ice flasks? Uh, yeah, but I'd have to add some gunpowder to the mix to give it enough force. I could do that with some of the other shells we have if I had a bit of time."

"Ok. You and Ignis prep your ice attacks and let me know when you're ready to go."

Ignis and Prompto didn't reply. They merely ran off to a safe location down the canyon to do his bidding.

"They are the Shiva stand-in. Am I right," Ravus asked.

"Something like that. Luna, help them out if you can. Ravus, you and I are front line," Noctis ordered, and without waiting for confirmation, he warped up to engage Ifrit. Ravus sprinted to the front lines to assist.

Luna hurried after Ignis and Prompto. Shiva/Gentiana had once been her companion. She knew firsthand how her powers worked, and its strength. She could give Ignis and Prompto pointers on what was required. As ideas went, this was a pretty good one, and it gave her hope that they would succeed after all. And she had to admit that she was currently in no state to fight. This was the best she could do. But, damn it, she would make sure it worked. She too had had enough of the Gods.

* * *

"Nice of you to join us," Gladio snarked as Noctis blocked one of the blows meant for Gladio with his sword.

"I thought so too," Noctis replied affably.

Ifrit jumped back a bit upon seeing Noctis join the fray. He knew the types of powers the Chosen King could wield in the crunch, and now that he was no longer a daemon (curse Izunia), he had to be a little more prudent.

Noctis saw the move and smirked. "Afraid of me now, Ifrit," he taunted.

"I don't fear humans," Ifrit replied coldly. "You are just another egg to crush."

"One doesn't run from eggs," Ravus spoke up mockingly, seeing through Ifrit's bravado.

Ifrit retaliated with a swipe. Noctis intercepted it and blocked it with a strength that forced Ifrit back even further.

"I can fight my own battles, Highness," Ravus snarked, not appreciative of Noctis's action.

"Then fight them," Cor ordered, rushing forward to attempt to force Ifrit back even further. If nothing else, it gave them hope to be able to make Ifrit lose ground.

"What is the plan, Noctis," Aranea demanded in low tones to Noctis so that Ifrit wouldn't hear. "We just keep bashing him?"

"For now. We should try to coordinate attacks where we can though. Let's team up. You hit from above, me from below."

"As above, so below," Ravus commented to Noctis's instructions. "Why don't each of us aim for one of his feet while Aranea aims for the head?"

Noctis glanced at Gladio and Cor who were keeping Ifrit engaged. They might be enough of a diversion for this. "That works too," he replied. "Let's do it. Just, watch out for Cor and Gladio."

"I'm not a greenhorn," Ravus replied bitingly. "I can keep friendly fire to a minimum. I'll go right," he added, running off, leaving Noctis with the left path.

Noctis warped, landing near Ifrit's left leg. He saw the flash of white as Ravus maneuvered into position and the flash of a shadow from above. Judging the timing, he struck. Ifrit roared in rage as he received simultaneous blows to both legs, forcing him to his knees. He had managed to move his head at the last minute so Aranea struck him deep in the shoulder instead. It was not a killing blow, but bringing Ifrit to his knees was an accomplishment in and of itself.

"His legs," Noctis called out to the group. They all surged forward to hack and slash at his legs. They would sever them from his body to keep him still. It was brutal, but it would keep him at bay if not deal him a mortal blow. Ifrit saw their intentions and tried to move, to kick out at them.

"Oh no you don't," Iris cried out, shooting point blank at his right knee.

Ifrit roared in pain and was forced to plop back down for the moment. He struggled to lift his left (less useless) leg, but it was weighted down by Cor, Gladio, and Ravus. Their swords continued to systematically slash at his muscles and tendons.

Ifrit's gigantic hand swept down, ready to swipe them away except that Ravus blocked it, using all of his strength to keep Ifrit's hand away as Cor and Gladio hacked at Ifrit's leg. Ravus could feel the pleather of his jacket melting in Ifrit's searing heat. Gladio winced as his exposed skin burned—each second of contact with Ifrit was like being in a burning down building. However, at this point they would rather burn to death than give him the chance to stand up.

And he was still trying to. His leg bucked beneath them, trying to knock them off. It was like sitting on a thick tree branch in a windstorm. A branch they were cutting down as they sat on it.

Ifrit's other leg, the leg Iris had shot, was temporarily unable to move. This allowed Noctis and Aranea to focus more on severing the leg than staying on it. With only two of them, it was slower going though. Aranea was blocking Ifrit's other hand, leaving just Noctis to work on severing the leg. They gritted their teeth in pain as each chunk of flesh they gouged from Ifrit's leg made them burn a hundred-fold more. Aranea gasped as a spark from Ifrit's molten blood struck her shoulder, setting her leather armor on fire.

Noctis rushed forward to bat at it in an attempt to put it out.

"Keep slashing," she ordered, voice taut with pain and exertion. "Don't, worry about me."

"Allow me to, then," Ardyn drawled as he swept his cloak over the flames on her shoulder, stopping their spread before extinguishing them entirely and using his sword to help block Ifrit's hand.

With some momentary breathing room Aranea gave a passing glance to her shoulder. The fire had burned a hole through her armor—making her shoulder raw and blistered. She didn't know if it was second or third degree burns, but she didn't have time to diagnose herself right now.

"If we get you a potion soon it won't disfigure you," Ardyn commented, giving her shoulder a healer's glance while still able to keep Ifrit at bay.

"I don't care if I lose my damn arm if it means killing this bastard once and for all," Aranea replied.

Ardyn chuckled. "Just the answer I would expect from you. You're welcome by the way," he added dryly.

"Shut up and keep slashing," Aranea returned.

* * *

With everyone in close quarters fighting, Iris knew there was not much she could contribute at this point. While she was a good shot, there was always the risk of friendly fire if she kept shooting, and she needed to conserve her ammo. She saw Luna, Prompto, and Ignis retreat. She knew it was not from cowardice. There was a plan in play. One that she needed to be part of. She turned to offer what assistance she could when she heard the maniacal refrain, "It will be ok, it will be ok."

She turned sharply to see Lux, cuddling a clearly awake and distressed Agneya. He was fixedly trying to look away from the action even as Agneya watched it as though she could not look away. Lux kept up his refrain. It was unclear whether he was trying to comfort Agneya or himself.

With icy horror, Iris realized that they were right now forcing children—one of them a little baby, to watch as they systematically butchered someone before them—the baby's own father. The ramifications of what they were doing, what they were forced to do, slammed down on her.

She remembered Ifrit, Belenus, when she had first met him, as Lux's guardian. Despite the no doubt abusive edge to the relationship, Lux still did have a bond with him. He was the being who had released Lux from the tube after all. Even if Lux wouldn't admit it, it was undoubtedly painful, even traumatic, to have to watch them take Ifrit down like this.

Iris knew they had to do this to Ifrit, even if it was monstrous. She didn't have to expose Lux and Agneya to it though.

She hurried over to them. "Come. Let's go somewhere quiet," she said bracingly.

It snapped Lux out of his trance. He blinked owlishly up at her as though waking from a nightmare. He glanced down at Agneya again.

"I, think she would like that," he whispered, his voice so low that it was evident that he too was overwhelmed and needed the escape.

She led the way out of the canyon, passing Luna, Ignis, and Prompto on her way out. "I'm taking them somewhere safe," she said, partially apologizing and stating what she was doing.

"Good thinking," Luna said. "Take them as far away as you can." It was a blessing, a benediction. Iris was not abandoning her friends—she was protecting noncombatants.

The canyon became cooler as the distance from the battle increased. The journey silent. Lux was too shocked to do anything except trudge behind Iris, Agneya as ever in his arms. Agneya was awake, yet silent. Would she remember this, Iris wondered. Humans retained almost no memories from their babyhood. Were Gods the same? Would Agneya remember what they did to her father?

Iris didn't want to dwell on that. It occurred to her on their silent march that she had effectively abandoned her revenge against Ifrit as well. Her bold plans of shooting him down had come to naught. As usual, she was too weak, she thought in despair. However, was she? They said revenge itself was a weakness and could bring you down. It more or less had with Ardyn. Wasn't being able to walk away from revenge a source of strength in itself?

It was, she realized with a flare of confidence. At the end of the day, Ifrit didn't matter. The others would take him down—he was already past tense. The future is what mattered, and Lux and Agneya were part of that future. She would do what she could for them—to keep them safe and sane.

"It is going to be all right," she said with conviction to her little troop.

"I know," Lux replied, with all sincerity.

Agneya sighed and fell back to sleep peacefully in Lux's arms.


	71. Chapter 71: Molten Torture

**Hey Everyone. I have another (short) chapter ready to go. Hope I have more ready soon. Thanks for reading!**

* * *

Ifrit screamed as Gladio severed the bone of his left leg with a mighty blow of his greatsword. There was no way Ifrit could save his leg now. With a fury and an intent to bring everyone down with him, Ifrit wrenched at his leg, bypassing Ravus's block and knocking him to the ground. Ifrit ripped the residual tendons holding it place, tearing his own leg off. Gladio and Cor were unable to keep their balance, falling hard to the ground a split second before Ifrit tossed his leg down the canyon. If they had still been holding on, that impact would have killed them for sure. As it was, Cor was temporarily stunned. Gladio and Ravus had to drag him away before Ifrit's lava blood could incinerate him.

Aranea knew what she was seeing from her experience as a hunter. Ifrit was an animal at bay now, and they were the most dangerous of all. "We need to back off, now," she ordered.

"You have a point," Noctis replied gravely.

"Or we could go in for the kill," Ardyn taunted.

"Go for it, you're immortal," Noctis replied, grabbing Aranea and warping back a safe distance to collect themselves and see what Ifrit had in store for them next.

Ardyn sighed. "I would have thought you'd have wanted the killing blow, but, oh well," he commented with resigned affability, then rose his sword to continue working on Ifrit's other leg. He could weather whatever Ifrit threw at him. It would hurt, but he couldn't die. And after everything that had happened in the mental realm, now it was personal.

Ifrit laughed, a screaming shrill laugh that echoed through the canyon. That was Ardyn's only warning. A searing heat emerged from the surrounding rocks instantly melting them, turning them to molten rock. There was heat, and then there was this. "This is going to hurt, badly," was Ardyn's last functional thought as the heat vent reached him, burning the flesh from his bones. He had had 2000 years of torture, but never this. All he could do was scream.

* * *

"Watch out," Luna cried, tossing up a light shield right before Ifrit's severed leg connected. The shield held, saving her, Prompto, and Ignis's lives. Her shield couldn't counteract physics though. She felt her feet slipping back from the impact, pushing her backwards. It was taking all of her will to hold up the shield to keep from burning or crushing them all—she couldn't control her body with it.

"Grab her," Ignis ordered.

"Got ya. Hold on," Prompto replied, tossing his arms around Luna's waist from behind to block her backwards progress.

"Hey, Iggy, what gives," Prompto hollered out after feeling strong arms go around him as well.

"It will take the three of us together to counter this," Ignis replied calmly.

With the three of them together as a counter force, it was enough to stop the severed limb's momentum.

It ground to a halt, leaving a scorched trail in the rocks marking its path.

Luna dropped her shield, the fragments of light shattering into a thousand pieces.

"Thank goodness you are with us, Luna," Ignis commented. "We would have been dead otherwise."

Prompto glanced down to the severed leg. "This is, progress, I guess?"

"We still need that ice from you guys," Luna replied.

"And we were interrupted," Ignis commented.

"Please say you don't need to start all over," Luna asked in despair.

"I don't," Prompto said brightly, huddling back down to mix gunpowder with the ice flasks with a nonchalant skill that surprised Luna.

"You, sure you're ok handling those flasks," she asked him, uncertainly.

"All Crownsguard are trained on handling this stuff," he replied.

"I seem to recall you dozing off in that class a lot," Ignis replied repressively, earning an uneasy few steps back from Luna.

"I learned in the field. Much better than class," Prompto replied. "Believe me, I know what I'm doing."

"I hope so," Ignis replied, returning to 'icify' his daggers. To his relief, they still held some residual ice glow from his previous work, so he did not have to fully start over.

Luna edged closer to him to watch him work. She watched the silver daggers gradually turn to an icy blue.

"Not sure if it helps, but one thing Gentiana told me about ice spells was the more varied they are, the more powerful they are," she interjected. "As she said, no two snowflakes are alike, so ice spells should not be."

"That means I can make my shells much faster," Prompto spoke up brightly. "I've been spending so much time making them all the same proportions. Varying the mix a bit should mimic that and let me finish up quick."

"Not too quickly, I hope," Ignis replied dryly. "I for one prefer to have non frostbitten hands."

"Again," Prompto whined. "I already told you…"

"You will also want to make sure your varied strength shells are still powerful," Luna added. "Strong and varied are what we need."

"I get ya," Prompto replied. "Iggy, can you do the same?"

"I only get two strikes—maybe one large simultaneous one, I'm afraid. I need to go with power for mine. With me as the power strike and you with the varied strikes, I think we will be at Shiva's level of power," Ignis replied.

"Woah! Blasphemy right in front of the Oracle? Way to go Iggy," Prompto teased.

Ignis flushed in embarrassment, realizing what he had just insinuated. He glanced apologetically at Luna. "I did not mean to imply that we were Gods are anything of that nature. I merely figured since we were Shiva's stand-in that—"

"Don't worry about it. I've already been plenty blasphemous," Luna replied, earning a shocked but intrigued gape from Prompto.

"Well, now that that's settled," Ignis replied dryly, he bent to return to his work, just to break off in alarm as he heard the screams coming down the canyon.

He, Prompto, and Luna looked to each other in horror.

"Hurry," Luna ordered, running back to the battle to see what healing she could offer.

* * *

Noctis watched in horrified awe as the molten rocks fused with Ifrit's blood, joining together to rebuild his legs. He tensed, bracing himself as Ifrit fully regenerated his body, waiting for Ifrit to use those legs to lunge towards them.

Ifrit gave him a taunting smirk as though he knew exactly what Noctis was thinking, and stayed put, the fatal flame barrier unrelenting. It was so hot they would die before they got close enough to attack him. As a shield went, it was a damn good one.

Ifrit glanced down gloatingly at Ardyn then turned up the heat on him, purely for wanton torture.

The screams increased. The rest of the party, helpless to assist for the moment, tensed in shared pain.

"Ardyn keeps regenerating just to get burned again," Aranea gasped in horror.

"I know," Noctis replied, voice taut with strain. Even with this, Ardyn couldn't die. That left in him stuck in a never-ending cycle of torture.

The healer's soul in Luna shriveled at the sound of Ardyn's agony. Even after all he had done to her, he was still suffering—and she was conditioned to feel pain for any living creature in pain. Her hands clenched in distress and frustration. "We need to do something," she whispered out desperately.

"Yeah," Aranea replied in equal concern, earning her a raised eyebrow from Noctis.

"He's immortal, we're not," Cor replied gruffly. "We'll die at this point if we try to do anything for him."

"We need that ice, now," Noctis stated.

"We're ready," Ignis replied, sprinting to the scene with Prompto in tow. Prompto's face twisted in human concern to see the grisly source of the screams.

Ignis looked to the flame shield blocking their path to Ifrit. "With this setup, I am unable to reach him."

"We need to do this fast," Noctis replied. "Aranea, you aerial leap Prompto to a good sniper position on one of the rocks above Ifrit. When you are in position, wait for my signal, then fire on him. When he cools, I will warp Ignis in then we pummel him, got it?"

"What about us," Gladio asked, gesturing to himself, Cor, and Ravus.

"You guys be ready to grab Ardyn and pull him out as soon as it's clear."

It was a testament to how vicious Ifrit was being to Ardyn that nobody questioned rescuing him. It didn't matter what a monster Ardyn had been to them. In the name of human decency they had to make his suffering stop. And in fairness he had done his part for them, in the most ass way possible, but still. They wouldn't stand by and let him endure fiery torture.

Ravus was glad to hear Iris had taken Lux and Agneya away from here. This was hard to take, even for them. To have kids watching it was unendurable. Anyone could maim and kill. It took a special person to think of others in the midst of battle, and Iris was that person. She was undoubtedly cursing her weakness—that she was not here at the end. And he knew this was the end one way or the other. When he saw her again, if he saw her again, he would reassure her of her strength any chance he got. But now was not the time to conjecture about the future. Ifrit was here and now and needed to be dealt with. He braced himself to do his part.


	72. Chapter 72: Quenching the Fire

**Hey Everyone! I finally have more ready to go. Without further ado and thanks for keeping up with the story!**

* * *

"You ready for this," Aranea demanded to Prompto, in tones indicating that he'd better be ready.

Prompto didn't disappoint her. "Yeah. Let's go," he replied brightly.

"I'm not a bus driver," Aranea replied with asperity. "You've gotta help me out too. Hold on tight or I may drop your ass."

"Oh right," Prompto replied sheepishly. "Uh, where do you want me to hold you—" he broke off as Aranea put his arms around her waist then covered his arms with hers as an extra layer. "Muscle up, Buttercup," she demanded, then leaped, landing on the canyon rim above.

There was no time to waste. Ifrit could lay eyes on them at any time. Prompto sprinted forward to access a good vantage point. Aranea was keeping a watchful eye on Ifrit to make sure his gaze was not fixed on them, and she was poised to shove Prompto into cover if Ifrit saw them. Fortunately or unfortunately, Ifrit's attention was on torturing Ardyn, then turning to Noctis to gloat over his perceived power over them.

Aranea's face tightened—she may not like Ardyn, at least the way he seemed to "like" her. However, that didn't mean she wanted to watch him burn to "death" over and over. They had to end this.

She glanced down at Ignis. He was watching her progress with fixed attention. He'd be ready when Prompto was.

Prompto found a bluff overlooking Ifrit. It was the perfect height and distance, and even had some boulders that could give him some cover in a pinch. And he knew he'd need it. If he shot and missed, Ifrit's retaliation would be fast and hard. Prompto shook his head. He'd faced his self-doubt and insecurities when he was in Verstael's lab ten years ago. He was not about to go back. He would make this shot.

The ice rounds were loaded. The weapon was primed. All he had to do was pull the trigger. The sound of the shot echoed in the night—the icy bullet catching the moonlight in the split second before impact. It hit Ifrit right in the side, leaving not a jagged wound, but a rapidly spreading patch of ice.

Ifrit made a strangled gasp, his hands touching the wound in an attempt to warm it. It probably wouldn't take him long to counteract it. Prompto wouldn't give Ifrit the chance to heal that wound. He shot again and again, causing the ice to spread. Prompto would turn Ifrit into a Popsicle if he could.

His efforts gave the others a window. The flame shield broke and Ifrit's attention was temporarily off of Ardyn. Noctis, Ignis, Ravus, Cor, and Gladio hurried to the fray. Cor reached Ardyn first and grabbed him for extradition. Ardyn, already rapidly healing, but still weak, tried to shake him off. "He, will suffer dearly for that," Ardyn stated weakly, straining to manifest a dagger to attack Ifrit in retaliation for what he had just done to him.

Cor rolled his eyes. "No time to be a hero. Let's go," he demanded.

That gave Ardyn pause for the briefest moment. "Hero, moi," he replied in mock surprise. "How times have changed."

Ravus and Gladio, who had caught up, didn't give Ardyn time to reply or react. They grabbed him from both sides and fireman-carried him out of the way, leaving the field clear for Noctis and Ignis.

Noctis swooped in not a second too soon. Ifrit was already lunging towards where the shots were coming from, getting ready to strike back. Noctis wouldn't give him the chance to attack Aranea or Prompto. He hurried forward with his sword to engage him.

Ifrit's fist swept up and blocked the blow instinctively. He glanced down to sneer at Noctis, just to wince again as another Prompto ice shot struck.

"Do you really think you can defeat me all by yourself, 'Prince'," he sneered. "I am not a being that can be taken down by the likes of the Chosen King."

"Oh, I know," Noctis replied affably. "I'm not even that special. When it comes down to it, I'm just a man. A lone man can't defeat you. However, a group of men and women together can," he added darkly.

Ifrit scoffed. "Bold speech. After all it's worked so well so far," he added scathingly, only to break off in intense pain.

Ignis's daggers connected, ice-ridden, full in Ifrit's back. He wedged them in with all his strength, sliding through tendon and flesh, just for his right dagger to come up against Ifrit's spine. Ignis's wrist couldn't bear the strain of a sudden hard stop to the force he was exerting—he felt the delicate bone snap and watched, dazed as his hand flopped to an unnatural angle, just a split second before the pain hit with a force that made him want to vomit. He couldn't give up now. He kept a reflexive grip on his left dagger and twisted it among the softer tissue it had struck, only to be roughly grabbed and warped away.

"Noct," he exclaimed in frustration, incensed that Noctis had taken him away from the battle when it counted.

"Look," his king ordered.

Ifrit had collapsed limply to the ground. If Ignis had still been there, he would have been crushed under his weight.

Even at the cost of Ignis's wrist. the blow to Ifrit's spine was the coup de grace. The ice raced up Ifrit's spinal nerve, spreading to his other nerves and muscles, the impulse spreading with the speed of neural stimulus, as instantaneous as how the sensation of touching a hot pot sped through your body compelling you to jerk your hand away. Ifrit could not warm something that spread this quickly. The ice froze his body, effectively paralyzing him from the neck down.

He lay there on the rapidly chilling ground. He could no longer keep the area warm. He knew the truth. He was dying.

"Forgive us, Infernian," Noctis spoke gravely from beside him. "We had no alternatives here."

"You, keep telling yourself that," Ifrit replied, wheezing as the ice spread to his lungs like an infection that could never be cleared.

"What was it you were saying about us being unable to slay a God," Ardyn mocked from his other side.

"Can it, Ardyn," Noctis spat back.

Ifrit ignored it. "You think you have saved the day, don't you," he mocked between labored breaths. "I, hope I can stay alive long enough to watch you all freeze to death. Although, I, think that is just a fading dream." With one last rattling gasp, Ifrit's last bit of life left him. The ice laced up his throat, turning him to a frozen statue for the barest moment before he shattered into a million pieces and faded away, leaving nothing but an empty chilly valley in his wake.

"Charming, to the last," Ardyn murmered beside Noctis.

Noctis stared at the empty space where their foe had just lay. He felt no triumph over their victory, merely the hollow feeling that they had made things worse, not better. What the hell were they supposed to do now?

* * *

Iris shivered, the desert night having become cold, as one would expect in the predawn desert. Yet, the change should have been more gradual than this. Something this sudden—she looked up sharply. Ifrit was dead. She knew it instinctively. They had done it. Were Ravus, Gladio, and the others ok?

A sudden rumbling scattered her thoughts. An earthquake? Now?

"What, the, hell, is that," Lux demanded, staring at a fixed point behind her.

Iris turned, sharply, to see the desert sand begin to shift and rise in the gray predawn light, as though taking on some kind of form.

"Boss fight," as Prompto would say swirled through her head, making her want to laugh in hysteria. She readied her gun and took position between the sand pillar and Lux, who was cradling Agneya protectively in his arms.

The sand pillar became taller and taller. More sand joined it, forming limbs. Iris pulled the trigger, aiming right for the torso. More sand rose rapidly to block her attack.

"Do not be alarmed," a low rumbling voice intoned. There was so much reverb on it that Iris could not determine its position. Still, it commanded attention. She hesitated on taking another shot. The sand shield sank, like sands in an hourglass, revealing the gigantic earthen form behind.

The being did not look like a daemon. There was no black mist swirling from its muscular torso or its bald head. It, no his, expression did not look feral, as though he wanted to consume them. It was too humanoid to be a desert creature. There was only one conclusion.

"Titan," Iris gasped out. Not only was she face to face with a God, but he had chosen to interact with her instead of his messenger Luna. She should be honored…and she was still pointing a gun at him. She lowered it awkwardly. Should she curtsy or something?

Titan took pity on her. "As I said, you have no need to fear. Your comrades have defeated Ifrit."

"Oh," Iris replied—unsure what else to say. "I, am sorry we had to defeat one of your own," she added haltingly.

Titan scoffed, his low voice rumbling against the cold air. "It needed to happen. He was no longer one of our own." His voice sounded so cold, final, driving home the fact that Ifrit had even been forsaken by the Gods.

"Why did you come to me," Iris asked. "If you know about Ifrit, why didn't you go to Noctis and—oh no, are they, dead," she asked in rising horror.

"No. They have all survived." He glanced expectantly at Lux, still holding Agneya, and held out his gigantic hand to take her.

Lux started back, still wary and protective.

"Calm yourself, Son of Adagium," Titan intoned. "Leviathan and I shall take charge of Agneya from here. We shall nurture her so she can maintain the heat and cold balance of this planet."

Lux still hesitated, Titan's title for him not even registering. Agneya had awakened upon hearing Titan's booming voice, and was staring at him with fixed intensity, perhaps recognizing one of her kind.

Titan's stone-face softened upon seeing Agneya. He knelt down to be closer to her, a useless gesture since he was still so large, but the intent to be less intimidating was still there. To Iris, it was almost endearing.

Titan's finger poked the sandy ground beside them, causing the sand to swirl once more to take on another form. This time, it was an Agneya-sized teddy bear. Agneya cooed and pointed at it in excitement.

A soft smile even appeared on Titan's face. "I am your uncle Titan," he replied. "Aunt Leviathan and I will look after you, ok?" Agneya looked to him, then back to the bear, and smiled.

Lux could no longer protect her. He didn't need to. She had a home and her own set of protectors. He wordlessly held her out towards Titan's now open hand. Titan picked her up, gently, spawning the sand bear beside her.

"With Ifrit, gone, Leviathan and I can now help balance the heat and coldness until Agneya is of age to handle that herself. We can also offset Ramuh's loss at the same time," Titan said.

"How," Lux asked in genuine curiosity. "You guys are land and sea. Ice, fire, and lightning have nothing to do with you."

"Sunlight absorbs and reflects heat differently from water and land. The more land there is, the more heat there is to reflect back, keeping the planet warm and dry. Just as water regulates the temperature and cools things off and lets it rain.

"Like how beaches tend to be cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter than inland," Iris volunteered in an effort to explain further to Lux.

"Please understand, we cannot sustain this forever," Titan intoned. "Merely until Agneya can take on the burden. In order to do this, we need to regularly flood and cause drought to the land to balance it. For something planet-sized, we must serve an entire continent thus."

"You mean, you want to flood and desiccate an entire continent? How regular is 'regularly'," Iris asked, warily.

"Flooded by day, reraised from the ocean by night," Titan replied gravely.

"So, daily? Something continent-sized? We'll all die," Iris blustered out.

"Not if we do it here," Titan replied. "This continent is a wasteland. None of your kind live here anymore. This land shall be the sacrifice for which the planet will survive."

Iris did a quick scan in her head of the world map. This continent was uninhabited to the best of her knowledge, and there was nothing else near it that could be affected. As a bit of sacrificial land to save the world, it seemed like a viable option. But, what if there were others still here, trying to eke out a living of sorts? A handful of people who would die in exchange for everyone else? Could she be ok with this choice? Was it her call to make it?

"There are no other humans here other than you and your allies," Titan reiterated. "Ifrit's inferno dried up the last of the fresh water here. All other living things have perished."

Iris was not exactly relieved by that response since it pointed out the loss of life Ifrit had inflicted. Yet, it seemed like this forsaken land had no other purpose anymore.

"In order to keep humanity standing, Leviathan must flood the continent shortly after dawn, or else it will become too hot from the sun," Titan continued. "That means you all have at most three hours to flee. Or else, you will be flooded with it. It is the best we can do to save humanity, and adequate recompense for what Ifrit has wrought. I, we, thank you for what you have done." Instructions provided, Titan strode away through the desert with Agneya securely in his arms.

"Wait! Can you, like, give us a lift back to the ship or something," Lux called to his retreating form, just to receive no reply. Titan was already too far off to hear them.

Iris shook her head. The Gods may be "helping" but in the meantime they had to haul ass out of here. "Lux," she asked. "You can do that warp thing, right? Can you go alert the others? It would take you half as long as it would me."

"You need a warper to get you back over those cliffs back to the beach," Lux replied, remembering that he'd had to ferry Luna over them. "I'll take you back to the ship then Cid can fly us over to them."

"He can't fly the ship without Prompto's handprint."

"Sonofa! I forgot about that," Lux replied. "Let's just go together to Noctis and the guys. You ok with holding onto me while I warp?"

"You can, handle two people?"

"I got Luna over here didn't I? I can handle it. Unless you're worried about cooties or something?"

Iris didn't reply, and tentatively put an arm around his shoulders. "This work," she asked.

"That'll do. Lux's busline leaving the station," he quipped, warping them back to the others.

* * *

"Everyone ok," Noctis called out, rapidly scanning his allies to make sure everyone was ok.

"My wrist appears to be broken, but I could be worse," Ignis replied affably from Aranea's arms, but with an edge of pain behind it.

"Shut up," Aranea demanded as she attempted to bind his broken wrist.

"Steady there, darling," Ignis commented dryly amid the pain as he felt her hands shake against his wounded skin and the cold drip of tears.

"Don't you tell me what to do," Aranea replied, voice husky from tears and distress.

"I can heal Ignis once I've rested a bit," Luna chimed in, just to be ignored. Aranea and Ignis's gazes were fixed on each other—nobody else in the world existed except the two of them for now.

"Worry about yourself," Noctis ordered. "You need to recover your strength."

"As do you," Luna replied gently.

"Oh I think contact with the Oracle will help with that," Noctis replied boldly, taking her into his arms and not letting go.

"Did we really do it," Prompto asked the group in cautious optimism.

"We slew Ifrit, yes," Ravus replied coolly. "However, I don't think our problems are overcome yet."

"He's right," Cor added. "Without Ifrit we are left with just a little baby goddess to keep the balance of heat and cold. Not sure what we do about that."

"Shit," Gladio grumbled. "Talk about a waste of time."

"I think the remaining Gods will do something," Luna replied. "After all it's their planet too."

"Ah how endearing that the Oracle still supports the Gods after all they've done to us," Ardyn replied snidely. "The Gods I know wouldn't think twice about using us and throwing us aside due to destiny or some such nonsense."

"I happen to agree with you," Ravus replied coolly. "However, of the Gods who are left, they cannot weather extreme heat and cold either. They cannot survive the temperature extremes, so it is in their interest to prevent that where they can."

"Titan can," Nocts replied. "I mean, rock does pretty well in extreme weather, right?"

"It melts when it's too hot," Ravus replied. "Just as water boils when it's too hot. As mistrustful as I am of the Gods anymore, I do have to agree with Luna that the Gods will help us since it is also in their best interest to do so."

"So, you agree with me _and_ Luna," Ardyn replied tartly. "Ah the true king of Tenebrae at last! One who makes wishy washy compromises between two opposing forces."

"Better than doublespeak about ending the Imperial war in Insomnia," Ravus returned.

"But, you were in on all that," Ardyn contradicted.

"Boys, this is not helping," Luna snapped out.

Ardyn chuckled. "Spoken like a true older sister. Although, you are not _my_ sister, nor are you older than I am."

He was ignored. Noctis saw movement on the horizon and tensed, ready for battle.

"Don't hit, it's just us," Lux called out, slamming to a stop a safe distance away from the group. Iris stepped away from him and scanned the group with sharp interest, her gaze focusing on Ravus then Gladio, then back to Ravus again.

"You _are_ all ok," Iris replied in relief. Ravus's gaze sharpened on her, sizing her up, appearing ready to run to her to take her into his arms.

"How touching," Ardyn snarked. "Yet it seems that you abandoned a baby in the process. Where is Agneya?"

That brought Iris back to reality with a start. "Oh right! Titan took her. He and Leviathan will take care of her. They also have a way of keeping the heat and cold balanced for awhile, but have to get the hell out of here now…"

"So our thanks for winning the battle and cleaning up their mess is to get out of the way before they kill us," Gladio replied after Iris's recitation.

That was the Gods Ardyn knew and loathed. Just what he expected from them really. Flooding this continent would be quite inconvenient—for Noctis and his ilk. Ardyn's immortality would protect him—he could swim to exhaustion, die, then regenerate to continue the cycle if it came down to it. He had done what he promised. He had helped them slay Ifrit. They would not help him with what he was going to do next. "Hurry on, do," he muttered to them mockingly, warping off before they even noticed. Or so he thought.

Noctis caught up with him midway between the canyon and beachside cliffs. "Going somewhere, Ardyn," he commented, a drawling mockery of Ardyn's usual tones, rendering Ardyn's response of "that's my line" entirely superfluous. Ardyn surveyed Noctis in silence.

"You're not the only one who can warp, Ardyn. Where are you going," Noctis asked, voice hard.

"Should you really be wasting your time pursuing me? You should be escorting your friends and ladylove out of this doomed place. Unless you prefer a watery grave?"

"And how about you? Are you going to hang out here and bask in waterfront property," Noctis asked scathingly.

"Hardly. Although, I could weather all of this if I had a mind to. Immortality does have its benefits," Ardyn replied snidely.

"So you are planning on swimming out of here," Noctis replied bitingly. "I didn't think you were _that_ dumb."

"I do have the boat I came in on, but I would swim if I had to. I don't relish a return to prison or a 'detour' to Angelguard."

"I wouldn't do that to you," Noctis stated flatly.

"Oh, really? Why not? My usefulness to you is at an end. I have done my part to defeat the Infernian."

"I do not use allies then throw them aside. And you have proven to be an ally."

"I am quite flattered by your faith in me," Ardyn replied with sarcastic effusiveness. "However, to have such faith in me is foolish," he added darkly.

Noctis growled in frustration. "You are such a bastard, Ardyn! I know you are not running away from justice. With your immortality and us drained by the shit we just did, you could tear us apart in a heartbeat if you wanted to. There is nothing we could really do to you right now even if we wanted to."

"Now that's a dangerous admission, my boy," Ardyn replied. "That just sets you up as a target for any nefarious plans I may have on you and yours."

"Cut the crap," Noctis snapped. "You and I both know that you could completely own us right now. It's a fact. Just as I know you are planning something else. Now, what the hell is it? It's possible I can help you with it."

Ardyn surveyed the King in surprise. The fact that he had admitted that they were powerless against him and knew it left him nonplussed. Was it some kind of bluff, or gambit? No, Noctis wasn't that duplicitous. He was honest to a fault. Noctis was telling the truth. He, respected Ardyn's abilities and was giving him credit for being more than Noctis had any right to believe him to be. In fact, Ardyn couldn't remember the last time anyone had treated him thus, much less offer _him_ assistence. Even after all Ardyn had done to him…it wasn't like it made him feel warm and mushy inside—that was for weak idiots. However, such bluntness deserved some honesty back in kind. He could give him an explanation.

"I'd be careful with that promise, if I were you," he warned. "However, if you must know, I have plans for the crystal."

"Ok," Noctis replied nonjudgementally. "Do you want to destroy it?"

"As I've said before, yes. It is what I wanted to do long ago."

"But, you once said you couldn't destroy it."

"I think circumstances may now be in my favor," Ardyn stated. "And as much as I'm inclined to tell the tale, I rather think it should wait until we are safely above the flood. Especially since our transportation is arriving _so_ conveniently."

He appeared to be right. Noctis heard the engine of the airship in the early morning air and saw its shadow as it began to land a safe distance from them.

"Ok, Ardyn. We will give you a lift off this rock and in exchange you discuss your plans for the crystal, and we decide if we can help you. Do you agree?"

"Yes. And in exchange, you know I will be forced to do something, regrettable, if I see us anywhere near Angelguard. And, as you've already said, there is not much you can do to fight back should it become necessary."

"Yeah, got it. No Angelguard. Ok. Let's go." The two hurried to the ship to find the others already on board.

Ardyn's gaze fixed on Lux as though he were relieved to see the boy safely on board. Of course, Ardyn would never admit it. To him, the boy was a trial. Although he supposed it would have been more troublesome to leave the boy behind. And besides, Aranea wouldn't have allowed it.

"Glad you didn't need a special invitation," Cid greeted.

Noctis surveyed the group in surprise. "You guys made it back to the beach fast. We weren't gone that long."

"Eh, I picked'em up," Cid replied offhandedly.

"I thought you needed Prompto to run the ship," Noctis replied in confusion.

"Pshaw! I didn't wanna depend on a young whippersnapper like 'em," Cid replied. "We got it runnin' on its own."

"It was more work than he's lettin' on. Don't ask," Cindy replied. "We were so worried that Prompto—well, it's all under the bridge now," she added, trying to be blasé to cover over her voice breaking at the thought of what could have happened to Prompto.

"Sorry I worried you," Prompto told her, gently, and held out his hand to her. Cindy threw herself into his arms, nearly unbalancing them both and buried her face in his shoulder. His arms went around her, awkwardly at first, but then with more confidence as he nestled her closer.

Holly, sitting nearby with Gladio's burly arm around her, beamed at her friend finally coming to the point with Prompto.

"Let's get out of here before it floods," Cor ordered.

"And Ardyn, you owe us a tale," Noctis commented.

As Cid complied, revving the engine to carry them all away from the now forsaken continent, Ardyn settled in prepared to provide his part of the bargain.

* * *

 **I wrestled with how to handle Ifrit's demise for a long time-hence the delay in posting. I didn't want to give him short shrift, but neither did I want him to linger on forever Madara Uchiha (Naruto) style. Hope I balanced that ok. As you can see, the story is not over with Ifrit-there is still a crystal to take down! Hope you stick with it and that the story hasn't worn out its welcome. I see it is one of the longer ones on the site now so to all those who have read (and are continuing to read) this bunch of words, I sincerely thank you. Anyways, stay tuned for more! Hopefully I will have more soon.**


	73. Chapter 73: Crystal of Chaos

**Happy June everyone! I got past a bit of writer's block lately, so have another chapter ready to go. This one was a bit of a challenge as I had to combine what I've already written about Ardyn's backstory (written before we knew what was revealed in Episode Ardyn) with what has become cannon about him. I did my best to combine the two in a way that makes sense, but sorry in advance if you find any inconsistencies or plot holes. Anyhoo, hope you enjoy and thanks for reading!**

* * *

The airship sped through the dawn air, heading back towards Lucis. Nobody looked back. Nobody wanted to see the flooding of a continent. They just had to hope that Titan was right and that there would be no harm to anyone as a result of the activity. Noctis stared expectantly at Ardyn who was fidgeting in hard metal airship seat, attempting to get comfortable.

"I always did hate these things," he commented conversationally.

"You said you have a chance at destroying the crystal now," Noctis asked him leadingly.

"I thought we already have one," Luna replied in pain. "Leviathan told us that someone who had the blessing of the Six could destroy it at the expense of his life."

"And let me me guess. That's Noctis," Ardyn replied scathingly.

"How did you know that? You weren't even there," Luna replied uneasily.

Ardyn laughed. "I know how the Gods work. They believe that everything is destined and that it requires sacrifices for the good of the many. I say, to hell with them all."

Noctis glanced at him, startled. It was not often that Ardyn cursed with such vehemence.

"So, you have a plan B then? A way we can do this without me dying," Noctis asked, hope mixed with wariness.

"I have an idea, yes. As to whether it works, I cannot say," Ardyn replied just as cautiously.

"If it does not require Noct's death, I for one am all ears," Ignis interjected.

"I believe now that I have the Ring of the Lucii, I may have a chance of destroying the crystal myself," Ardyn replied. "I have never been, bequeathed it before."

"Why is the ring such a game changer for you? You had the crystal itself in your power for ten years, unopposed," Noctis replied in genuine curiosity.

"Even if I had succeeded in ripping the crystal to shreds while I 'ruled' Insomnia, there would still be one piece left," he wagged his finger to draw attention to the ring gouging his finger to illustrate his point.

"But, I was inside the crystal, and I had the ring," Noctis replied, confused. "You could have destroyed the crystal while I was inside it and wiped out all the pieces at once."

"Were you really inside the crystal," Ardyn returned mockingly. "Being cooped up in a geode for ten years had to be, quite confining."

"It wasn't. I had, plenty of room to train."

"The crystal is much larger on the inside," Ardyn mocked. "Do you really believe you were trapped inside it? You were transported to another realm. The crystal is a gateway to it. Only those who are chosen by the crystal can use it or weaponize it. Otherwise, it is just a giant rock. Had I destroyed the crystal, you would have been trapped in that realm, along with the last piece of the crystal. And the crystal would fight tooth and nail to keep that last piece from being destroyed. I would have been unable to eradicate it. And you would have never returned."

"So, the ten years of nocturnal hell was a blessing," Cor replied scathingly. "You did it to protect Noctis so he could return one day?"

"Hardly! I have no love for Noctis and any of his blood line," Ardyn returned. "I just, did not have access to the Ring and attempting to destroy the crystal without it would have been pointless."

"So, had I let you have the ring back when the Empire attacked Insomnia, you would have used it to destroy the crystal," Luna asked. "Had I not given it to Noctis, you would have already destroyed the crystal?"

"Not from lack of trying, Oracle," Ardyn replied. "You all harp on the 'sham' of peace I proposed before the attack on Insomnia ten years ago. The attack was a foregone conclusion. The Emperor wanted the crystal—if I hadn't devised that plan, he would have come up with something else. At least with this plan, I would be there to, er, borrow the Ring of the Lucii. I could destroy the crystal in Gralea or Insomnia. It did not matter to me where the crystal ended up."

"And what were you going to do? Kill my dad for it," Noctis demanded.

"It was General Glauca who did that," Luna reminded him swiftly.

"And to my shame I attempted to claim the ring for my own before that," Ravus replied, words wrung out of him. "I can exclaim from the rooftops that my motives for doing so were to save Luna from her fate and to gain the power save the world, but it means nothing. I still, did what I did."

"I get it," Noctis replied brusquely. "Continue, Ardyn."

Ardyn shrugged. "As I have said, I'm afraid I don't harbor good feelings for that branch of my family. Somnus's legacy after all. To be honest, I would have killed King Regis if I'd had to. I nearly did thirty years ago. Had I known then what I know now, I could have taken the Ring then and saved a lot of bother. Unfortunately, I did not, and due to Ravus's greed," he ignored Ravus's wince, "the ring was lost in the shuffle in the battle."

"What you mean you nearly killed my dad thirty years ago," Noctis demanded.

"Oh, he never told you? I was surprised he did not recognize me when I presented the peace terms. I barely recognized him," Ardyn replied darkly. "But then I don't age like other people. Either your father was in his dotage and forgot or, more likely, that is why he sent you away before the battle. He had to accede to the demands for the good of the Kingdom, but knowing I was there and what I could do, he wanted you as far away as possible. Little did he know my agenda had changed a bit from our last meeting."

"It must not have been a victory for you thirty years ago since he survived it," Noctis replied offhandedly.

"If I really wanted him dead he would have been. I, simply had another agenda at the time. One that does not relate to current circumstances."

Noctis sighed in frustration. He didn't have it in him to press Ardyn further on that tangent. It was easier to ignore it and get back to the point. Luckily Luna did that for him.

"The ring was not lost in the shuffle. I took it out of Insomnia after the battle. After Nyx gave his life using it to save the city," Luna replied flatly.

"Ah yes, that gentleman," Ardyn replied. "I remember how he gave you a gift at the pre-signing gala. Such a noble knight he was. A shame he met his demise. An honorable man duped by the crystal. It no doubt gave him some type of sacrifice bargain—power for his life or some such nonsense. I did not see it firsthand, but I now know how the crystal works. And, did he really save the city? The Terrors of the Night were there as soon as night fell to finish off anyone who was left. Destruction of the highest order just like the crystal always wanted."

"That wasn't your doing," Ignis asked, speaking up.

"I left with the Emperor before darkness fell. I did not, corrupt anyone to become daemons before I left. I knew they would come though. They would be either one of Verstael's weapons or opportunistic daemons lured in by carnage and low light conditions. Suffice to say, I did not collect the ring that day either. I had hoped Noctis and Luna would prove wise enough to learn what the crystal was, and be strong enough to destroy it using the powers of light. However, as I've already said, that was not to be."

"My hopes though were briefly restored when I saw you had the ring, Ignis. However, the unchecked strength it gave you combined with what it was demanding from you in exchange made me hesitate. And the longer I stayed, the more likely it would be that the Empire would find out I was the one who, er, caused grievous harm to the Oracle."

"So, that was purely your doing," Noctis replied, voice taut. Luna was uncomfortable hearing about her demise and moved away to the cockpit to stare out of the windshield at whatever she could see to keep herself distracted.

"Without the Ring, I could not destroy the crystal. However, Ifrit could still destroy humanity or wheedle the rest of the Six to use it against us. As I said before, darkness needed to rule so that I could be strong enough to prevent either from occurring. The Empire needed The Oracle as their symbol of hope. It was a bad political move to slay her. And if they found out it was I who did the deed, I would have lost access to the crystal or any of the firsthand knowledge of the activities related to the Six that the Empire was working on. I had to keep my position, you understand," Ardyn added mockingly.

"Then, why didn't you lop my arm off in Zegnautus Keep and take the ring then? You had the perfect opportunity," Noctis asked.

"Yeah. You seemed far more interested in gloating," Gladio added bitterly.

"Do you remember our conversation in the caravan before we met with the Archean ten years ago," Ardyn asked.

"What does that have to do with anything," Noctis demanded impatiently.

"I remember Ignis saying something about how despite needing minor vision correction he was willing to wear his spectacles and risk them melting in the lair of the Archean just because, and I quote, 'I like my world to be crystal clear.' I saw what happened after he donned the Ring in Altissia. The tremendous power it gave him, followed by what it asked for in exchange. It blinded you, Ignis. It identified something very precious to you and demanded it as a sacrifice."

"It was one I was willing to make at the time," Ignis replied flatly.

Ardyn gave an indifferent shrug and continued. "Nevertheless, it made me wonder what it would ask of me. Seeing as my dearest wish was revenge against the crystal itself, what would it do when it knew that is what I most wanted?"

"What," Prompto asked in genuine curiosity, hanging on Ardyn's story now.

Ardyn gave him a scathing look at his naivete. "I do not even know. Perhaps it would seek to fight back. Perhaps it would take my powers away so I could not even keep Ifrit or the Six at bay. It was not a risk I could take."

"I watched your return to Insomnia," Noct," Ardyn continued. "I saw you take down the Infernian. With him out of the way, temporarily, I no longer needed to watch him and worry that he would destroy humanity. Furthermore, with Ifrit back in the cycle of rebirth, there were not currently six Gods who could use the crystal as a weapon. The crystal's status as a threat had been negated, at least until Ifrit's rebirth."

"Now I could risk using the ring, except that you possessed it and, with you new level of power, would not easily relinquish it. So unleashing Cerberus, the Old Wall, and a duel to the death was in order. Had I won our final duel, Noct, I would have finally claimed the ring and used it to destroy the crystal once and for all. If it is any consolation to you, it no doubt would have claimed my life as well, so had you 'lost', the world would have been saved anyway. However, you 'won'. You restored light to the world at the cost of your own life and kept the cycle going. Light was restored and there was nothing stopping Ifrit's rebirth. He returned to wreak havoc. And the crystal still sheds is silent light," Ardyn added mockingly.

"However, Ifrit has killed other Gods along the way," Cor replied. "Leviathan indicated Ramuh may revive when the crystal is destroyed, but Shiva is gone."

"Yes. That is one point in our favor," Ardyn replied. "The crystal can no longer be weaponized. It has lost its luster I'm afraid."

"They only don't come back if killed by one of their own though," Lux commented pensively. "Uh, we aren't Gods. Does that mean Ifrit will, come back since a God didn't kill him?"

The others looked at each other uneasily.

"Ifrit is no longer one of their own," Luna added. "He lost that right as soon as he killed Shiva. As such he is no longer a god. He became a daemon. And humans can slay daemons."

"Yeah," Iris echoed. "Titan reiterated to me after Ifrit died that it had to happen and that he was no longer one of them. If both Leviathan and Titan said the same thing, then that has to be the case."

"I hope so," Aranea chimed in. "I for one don't want us to have victory in our hands just to suddenly have that bastard raise his ugly mug again and we have a round 2."

"I think we are past round 2 with him," Gladio replied. "Try round quadrillion."

Prompto snickered, just to sober again as he saw nobody else was laughing.

"So, in order to save the world, I should have stuck my head in the sand and let you get away with everything," Noctis asked, appalled.

"Either that, or have the wit to see what the crystal was and destroy it yourself," Ardyn replied dryly.

"How the hell should I have known the crystal is the God of destruction? It sounds nuts even after all I've seen," Noctis replied defensively.

Ardyn shrugged. "Had you been the wise King your father wanted you to become, and had Luna been a more mature Oracle, you likely would have figured that out. Since you didn't, I had to do things my way."

"The God of Destruction is as much of an asshole as you," Iris spoke up. "I met it when I put the ring on."

Ardyn's gaze slew towards her in surprise. "You, put on the ring and have lived to tell the tale?"

"That's how you got the ring, you know. I told it to take away its blessing from Ifrit and give it back to you."

"Why the hell would you do that," Ardyn replied tightly, a thread of anger in his tone. "How did you know I wouldn't turn around and use it against you all?"

"It, was between that or having to take the power myself at the expense of either Ravus's or Gladio's life. I, couldn't do it."

Ardyn laughed. "That is one way to beat the God of Destruction at its own game. You are the first person I've heard of who has been offered its power and turned away from it rather than make the sacrifice. Well played, Iris. Even if making me the embodiment of the Starscourge again was quite foolish on your part. I must say I never thought that _I_ would be the sacrifice, and be given the ring with no consequence."

"You _are_ the consequence," Iris stated. "I, know it was risky. But, I'd rather take my chances on you than have to choose which of the ones I love most to spare."

"Choose me if you have to," Gladio and Ravus spoke out in unison, then looked to each other ruefully.

"Jinx," Holly whispered, tones bittersweet.

"That's precisely why I can't," Iris replied, voice husky with unshed tears.

"Or never allow anyone to force you to make that choice," Aranea replied firmly. "Take the third option as you did. Ardyn is right. Well played."

Ardyn looked to Aranea in surprise. "We are in agreement on something? Will wonders never cease?"

"What happens now," Ignis demanded.

"I take my, 'newfound' ring, and give the God of Destruction choice between death and, more death," Ardyn replied darkly.

"But, destruction is eternal. Leviathan told us so," Prompto replied, hating to be the naysayer but having to say it.

"What do I care about that," Ardyn replied. "All I want is revenge on the crystal. With the crystal out of the way I will be satisfied."

Everyone else looked at each other uneasily. Ardyn usually played the long game, but if even he was just thinking of revenge at this point. Where did this leave them?

"Even Shiva's and Ifrit's powers are not gone with their deaths," Luna commented pensively. "However, they are transmuted—occurring through other means."

"More difficult means if what Titan says is true," Iris added.

"So, we could potentially transmute it in such a way as to make it so difficult to do that whoever gets stuck taking on the destruction job won't do it. Or at least not as often," Lux added.

"Or make it even easier," Holly commented uneasily.

"Hmph. At this point, I'll take any change," Gladio replied.

"Yeah. I'm tired of the crystal's bullshit too," Noctis replied. "Ardyn, what do you need from us?"

"Merely a ride to Insomina and unimpeded access to the crystal. I shall do the rest," Ardyn replied smoothly.

"I'm, not sure if it will be that easy," Iris replied warily. "Insomnia looked, weird when I communed with the God of Destruction."

"For the love of Pete! What a mouthful," Cid spat out. "Can't we just call this thingamabob Chaos or something and be done with it?"

"Works for me," Noctis replied. "What did you see, Iris?"

"I, can't say it's how Insomnia looks right now—it was a, dream world, kind of thing. But it was falling apart and being sucked into a void."

"It could be symbolic," Cor replied. "Yet, it is something we should prepare for. I believe we should all rest up first, even you Ardyn. I know you're immortal but you will still get to do more earlier if you go in at full strength."

Ardyn looked down at his cloak. It still had burn marks and holes in it from Ifrit's torture. The fact that he had been unable to regenerate his clothing did speak to a relative lack of strength at the moment. He had to concede Cor had a point.

"Very well. I have spoken enough, I think. I shall catch forty winks if you don't mind," Ardyn concluded, leaning his head back against the wall and putting his now floppy unrepaired fedora over his face to take a nap.

The others settled in to do the same.

"You good, Pops," Cindy asked Cid warily, seeing as he was the one party member who could not sleep.

"I'll sleep when we land," he replied. "You get some shut eye though."

Cindy got as cozy as she could in her chair next to Prompto and quickly fell asleep, head pillowed on Prompto's shoulder.

"You better treat my grandbaby good, Chocobo boy," Cid muttered, and steered the ship towards Lucis.

* * *

Noctis should be sleeping. He was exhausted from battle and quite comfortable with Luna's head resting on his shoulder and her warm body against his. However, he was uneasy. Luna must have sensed his tension and awoke drowsily.

"What is it," she whispered.

Noctis looked around to the others, not wanting to disturb them.

"There's the cargo bay if you want to do any hanky panky," Cid spoke up from the cockpit. "Nothin' I'd like to see less."

"Cid," Luna blustered out, embarrassed.

"It's not like that at all," Noctis added at the same time, then looked around again to the nappers, worried that he had woken them up. Luckily he had not.

He strode to the cargo bay, needing to be alone. Luna followed him to the cavernous space, separated from the others by a metal door.

"You should be sleeping, Noctis," Luna said gently as her greeting.

"So should you," Noctis replied, but sounded preoccupied.

"I know something is bugging you. What is it," she demanded.

Noctis sighed. He could never keep anything from her. "I, don't think you want to know what is going on in my mind," Noctis replied.

Luna blushed. "I might be ok with whatever it is you are thinking," she replied coyly.

"Wait! I didn't mean! Yeah, that could sound like an innuendo," Noctis replied embarrassed. "Guess we're two for two now," he added with a sheepish smile. "But, that wasn't what I meant."

"Tell me. I'm here," Luna ordered gently.

"I, am not sure if Ardyn's plan will work. There are so many ways it could fail. And, Ardyn is Ardyn. For all we know he will take the power and use it against us."

"As strange as it is, I don't think he will," Luna replied. "It's always been about the crystal with him, and this lines up with that."

"Yeah, but things go wrong. We have the way that Leviathan has assured us will work."

"You mean, the one where you are fated to die," Luna asked in alarm.

Noctis nodded. "I, don't want to die. Again. I'm tired of it coming down to this. However, the crystal has to be destroyed. I've seen enough of what it can do to know that. Even if what Ardyn has said about it is total bullshit, I have seen enough on my own to know that it is dangerous and destructive. It's got to go. And if Ardyn isn't willing or able to take care of it, then, I must."

Luna gave a shuddering sigh. "It always comes to this," she said in despair. "And you, are always willing to die for the greater good."

"Kings don't lead by standing still," Noctis recited. "And, unfortunately, I am King. I'd give anything I have to not be, but I can't run away from it either. There is no one else. And if my duty as King is to die to save everyone else, then, I must."

Luna's eyes misted with tears. "And, that is precisely why I love you," she said brokenly. "And always will. We'll find a way through this together."

Noctis took her into his arms and kissed her, for once glad that there was the metal door between them and everyone else. He knew he was the plan B. He had to be willing to die. But for now he had Luna, and that was enough.

* * *

Ardyn stared broodingly out the back window of the airship. The others were still asleep—well Noct and Luna had wandered off to the cargo bay, but it was none of his business what they were up to. They were not the only ones awake though. He sensed Aranea's presence at his elbow and glanced her way.

"And how is your paragon's wrist," he asked her by way of greeting.

"Good as new, thanks to Luna," she replied offhandedly.

"I'm so glad to hear it," Ardyn oozed, expecting her to stalk off in disgust. To his chagrin, she didn't.

"Do you really think you can pull off that bullshit you talked about," she demanded.

"I rather think it will work, but there are no guarantees," Ardyn replied affably, hoping this would fob her off.

"You, told me once that you assume destroying the crystal will kill you. Do you still think that," Aranea asked tentatively.

Ardyn sighed. That was the one thing he had not mentioned—but he hadn't thought it was worth it.

"Knowing what I know of the crystal, I believe that is a foregone conclusion," he replied calmly.

"And you are fine with that," she asked incredulously.

"I am done with all this," Ardyn snapped back, losing his calm. "Immortality, being the Accursed, destined to be the bringer of darkness to world. I never wanted it. All I ever wanted to do was heal this damned place, and I got burned for it!"

The others fidgeted in their sleep, hearing the raised voice, but not awakening. Aranea stared back at him in shock.

"Even though I, lost the battle with Noct, and failed in destroying the crystal then, I was, relieved. My accursed existence was at an end. I could finally rest, even if it was in an endless purgatory it was better than this. But fate, destiny, call it whatever drivel you will, had other plans for me. I had to escape purgatory to assist a boy I never meant to spawn. I am again immortal. I am again embodiment of darkness. If I can go out in a blaze of glory, taking out the crystal, giving Lux a future, and ending this cursed existence, then I will die happy."

Aranea swallowed and put a tentative hand on his shoulder, as she would have any of her uncertain cadets. "For what it's worth. I'm sorry. I, know you've been given a bad hand. I, can't ever love you. However, if the blaze of glory is your destiny, I, will do everything in my power to be there for you, so you are not alone at the end."

Ardyn swallowed, and stared at her in awestruck surprise. He absently patted the hand on his shoulder. "Nice sentiments, but are you sure you aren't going to be there just to make sure I don't betray you all at the end," he added with his usual sarcasm, but with a lighter, more bittersweet edge to it.

Aranea shook her head. "If you had ever been as earnest and eloquent as you were just now, I think the world would have adored you rather than hated you."

Ardyn smirked, back to his old self. "We can't have that, can we," he mocked. "Go back and rest. I'm immortal, for now anyway. You are not. I need you alive to take care of Lux."

Aranea walked back to the other side of the ship, to her chair next to Ignis. She would sleep, Ardyn figured. It was not like his fate was enough to keep anyone awake over. Save himself. Death did not scare him, but dying still did.


	74. Chapter 74: Clearing the Air

**Hi Everyone! Got a short chapter ready this week. Hope I have time this weekend to write more-work has been crazy busy lately that has kept me away. As always, hope you enjoy and thanks a bunch for reading!**

* * *

The flight back to Insomnia was comparatively smooth sailing. Whatever Leviathan and Titan were doing had calmed the storms quite a bit. While there were still occasional bursts of thunder and rain, they were mixed with bouts of bright sunlight. It gave Noctis hope that taking down the crystal would be much easier than he thought.

Cid threw that notion aside. "Sheeeit," he blustered out, drawing out the curse in startled panic as he abruptly swerved the ship, much to the consternation of everyone on board.

"What the hell was that, Pops," Cindy accused from her vantage point tangled in Prompto's and Holly's respective laps. She had been returning to her seat from the bathroom at the time and had tumbled into them from the sudden turbulence.

"Lookit," Cid pointed to now the side window that had previously been the way they were headed.

Noctis saw the cityscape of Insomnia, its stately bridges crossing the lake. It looked fine to him, except for lines of traffic trying to get back into the city.

"Looks normal to me," he commented.

"Yeah," Gladio replied. "There's even bunches of people trying to get back in. I guess the situation there is fine."

"Watch the birds," Cid ordered.

There was a flock of geese flying that direction that one by one, abruptly disappeared at the exact same point. There was no visible obstacle or any reason why they would do so. It was as though there was an invisible force field in that specific spot.

And not just that specific spot.

"Look at the traffic," Prompto said, his sniper's vision honing on the action below. The traffic jam on the bridge was not simply due to the volume of citizens trying to return. At the front of the line there was a truck, seemingly cut in half at an arbitrary point. They could see the back, but the front did not exist.

"It's like the city is there, but it's an illusion," Ignis commented pensively.

"And since it's happening both up here and down there, my guess is it is a barrier that surrounds the city," Ravus interjected.

"But why," Luna asked aloud. "The crystal?"

"What would it have to gain by doing that," Aranea asked.

"And will it destroy us if we try to go past it," Holly added.

"I don't wanna find out," Cid replied. "I'll land us in that thar refugee camp on the shore. That seems all right for now."

Ardyn was studying the traffic jam below. "Looks like somebody didn't get the message," he snarked, spotting a sports car use the oncoming traffic lane to get to the front of the line. The driver tried slamming the brakes once he saw the cause of the hold up, but it was too late. The car sailed through the void, which appeared to shimmer as the car went through, and disappeared. All they could see beyond the strange border was an empty city street. It was like the border was a screen with the city projected in full detail, except that it was devoid of life.

"Is this like what you saw, Iris," Cor asked.

"No. I saw darkness and nothingness when I was in there," she replied, trying to make sense of what they were seeing.

"It still _could_ be in there," Ardyn replied darkly.

Noctis grimaced. "You said that the crystal dragged me into a void? That it's the gateway to another realm?"

Ardyn nodded in agreement, for once not condescendingly.

"This will probably sound nuts, but what hasn't this entire time," Noctis began. "What if, the crystal is widening that void? What if it is turning Insomnia into its realm?"

"But, the gateway was never city-sized before," Prompto commented. "It was just, crystal-sized. If it's city-sized now, what does that mean?"

"It could mean somebody has been levelling up," Ardyn commented mockingly. "Perhaps Chaos knows we're coming for him and is amassing whatever power he can to prevent it."

"Or he's dividing and conquering us," Ignis ventured. "If he works like the crystal that only lets those it chooses into its realm, like it did to Noct, Iris, and myself, then only those it has granted its powers to can confront it. That limits its opposing forces quite a bit."

"So, what happens to the others," Aranea asked uneasily.

"Or those it has rejected, like Prince Ravus," Ardyn added snidely.

"Dunno," Noctis replied. "Granted, all of this is a theory. We don't know for sure. And we may not know until we walk through that border."

"That's a hell of a risk," Cor replied.

"But, I thought you were Cor the Immortal," Ardyn replied archly. "Surely you won't mind being the guinea pig for the rest of the unchosen?"

"I know firsthand what it does," Ravus spoke up. "If it will behave like the Crystal it will obliterate anyone who attempts to go inside who it has not chosen. Just like what happened to my arm."

"It's not worth the risk," Noctis said firmly. "Only those who have been granted something by the crystal will attempt to go through that barrier. That leaves me, Ignis, Iris, and Ardyn."

"Me too," Lux spoke up. "It, let me use it for awhile."

"You are not going in there," Aranea replied sternly. "If I can't, you can't."

"I think she's correct, my boy," Ardyn replied. "I, took those powers from you. So I stand in for you in this case."

"I don't follow that logic," Prompto began. "I mean, if it's granted you favor even once then you should—" he was cut off with death glares from Ardyn, Ignis, and Aranea. It took him a second, but even someone as dense as he figured it out—Ardyn was lying. Lux probably could make it, but Ardyn was saying no to keep him out of it. "Oh, right. Now I get it," Prompto added lamely.

"Yes, quite," Ignis commented.

"Arg," Cid grumbled. "First the city is blocked off by fire. Now, whatever this is? Maybe you should just move your kingdom, kid," he added, slowing down their approach so that they safely landed on a vacant patch of beach at the end of one of the bridges leading into the city.

"I will pretend you didn't just say that," Noctis replied dryly.

Cid merely shook his head.

"You are forgetting about me," Luna stated. "As a conduit to the Gods, I should be able to make it through the barrier as well. I was able to carry the ring, you understand."

"Point taken," Noctis replied. "So, this means that our team is me, Iggy, Luna, Ardyn, and Iris."

"Not quite the team I would have chosen," Ardyn snarked.

"You would have gone in alone," Aranea sniped back.

"And didn't you say once the crystal rejected you," Prompto asked. "How can you go in now, Ardyn?"

"I am back in its good graces thanks to Iris's bargain," Ardyn returned.

"Oh, right," Prompto replied sheepishly.

"What do the rest of us do," Gladio asked. "Just wait around here till you get back," he added in rising frustration.

"No," Noctis replied. "You blockade the bridges—keep anyone else from even trying to go in. Try to find the edges of the border and keep people away from it. And if you see that border break, you haul ass in and help us."

"Seems anticlimactic, but very well," Ravus replied, resignedly.

"That's all _you_ can do. After all, the ring rejected you," Ardyn taunted.

Ravus ignored him with a haughty sniff, and approached Iris.

"I, know it will probably offend you, but I, wish you did not have to do this," Ravus told her gently. "I, wish I could protect you in there."

"You need to acknowledge I'm a person too," Iris replied. "A person capable of doing her own thing when need be. If you love me, you also need to trust me to do things for myself."

Ravus gave her a heartbreakingly tender smile. "I do love you. I, just, don't trust myself to be able to protect you all the time."

Iris leaned over and, oblivious to witnesses, kissed him, as a lover who was going off to battle would their sweetheart. "We will argue about this later," she whispered fervently against his lips.

"I am looking forward to winning that argument and accepting the terms of your surrender," Ravus returned, sultry promise in his voice that made Iris almost melt then and there. It was only the knowledge that things weren't over yet that stayed her hand.

She glanced up, embarrassed, worried that she was holding them up. She need not have worried. It was Aranea doing that.

She was glancing between Ignis and Ardyn as though unclear of what to say. "Be careful out there," she managed to say to them both.

"I'm always careful," Ignis replied bracingly, and gave Aranea a hearty hug. "Take care of yourself, love," he whispered.

Ardyn merely gave her and Lux a curt nod, and began following Noctis across the bridge to the barrier.

"Hey, Noct," Gladio called after him. "You take care of my sister, will you?"

"I'm on it," he replied calmly, ignoring Iris's frustrated sigh.

"Wait," Aranea called out after Ardyn, forcing him to turn.

"I'm, sorry I can't keep my promise," she said in genuine regret. "If you get your blaze of glory—"

"I don't need that from you," Ardyn stated gently, by his standards. "One of us needs to stay here for Lux. And, even though I am setting gender roles back a generation or two by forcing it onto you, you are simply the better person for the role."

Aranea shook her head. "I'm protecting, not nurturing. I, don't have it in me for the touchy-feely mother stuff."

"Really," Ardyn replied in mock surprise. "I have seen otherwise," he added archly, and turned away, satisfied he'd had the last word.

Aranea folded her arms across her chest in exasperation.

"Uh, I don't need protection," Lux spoke up. "I, can take care of myself."

"Don't you start," she snapped back, strain of seeing those she cared about and, although she'd never admit it, Ardyn striding off to danger, made her tone more waspish than usual. She shook it off in regret and gruffly apologized.

"Before we start bein' bouncers at the club, I think we should make sure they make it through safely," Cid interjected.

"How will we know," Cindy asked.

"Dang if I know," Cid replied grumpily, but kept his gaze fixed on the invisible void all the same.

* * *

"You ready for this," Noctis asked his comrades.

In response, Ardyn warped through, disappearing into the void.

"I, do not hear any screams," Ignis ventured. "Do you suppose he made it?"

"The longer we wait here the more chances we have of losing our nerve," Luna commented. "Let's all join hands and cross that line together."

They complied, putting their hands, sweaty with fear, into each other's grips. Taking a deep breath, they crossed the barrier. They saw the void shimmer for one moment, like they were crossing through a waterfall, then they were in the "real" Insomnia.

"This, sort of looks like what I saw," Iris spoke up uneasily, looking around.

The sky was pitch black. Not the night sky at all but a rift leading to nothingness, a black hole that was slowly sucking pieces of the buildings into its maw. The upper floors of quite a few buildings were already gone, the new top floors jagged from being partially sucked away. The streets were devoid of vehicles and life. Anyone else who had traversed that barrier no longer existed.

"Quite a glorious kingdom you have, Noctis," Ardyn commented mockingly. "Would you care to have lunch at one of your exquisite cafes, or would you like to take care of business?"

That snapped the group of their horrified awe.

"Stay close, everyone," Noctis ordered. "We are going to the Citadel. Watch out for anything weird. I mean, besides, everything," he added awkwardly.

The group moved forward, slowly, cautiously. Even Ardyn was staying alongside them. He evidently didn't trust anything either. That didn't stop him from noticing Ignis's strange glances his way.

"If you have something to say, Ignis, I wish you would just say it," he finally interjected.

Ignis stiffened guiltily before returning to his normal calm. "I am still trying to determine if I should be jealous of you and Aranea," he finally ventured.

"Ah," Ardyn replied calmly. "Jealousy is a weak man's game. It implies one is either insecure in his ability to hold a mate or doesn't trust the person they love. Both of those are beneath you, Ignis."

"It is neither of those," Ignis replied coldly. "I merely don't trust your intentions towards her. I do not want you to hurt her."

Noctis considered stopping this conversation. They had more important things to be doing. However, he was as susceptible to gossip as anyone else, so found himself straining his ears alongside Luna and Iris to shamelessly eavesdrop. Surely he could do that while watching their surroundings, he figured.

Ardyn sighed. "I admit, I went a tiny bit too far with her. I, er, stole a kiss from her when you all first arrived at the now flooded continent." He ignored Iris's scandalized gasp. The whole party halted in surprise at this confession.

"Go ahead and strike me for that if you wish," Ardyn continued to Ignis. "However, please know that Aranea already did that. It was a mistake, and one I will never repeat. Aranea made it very clear that it is you, and only you, that she cares for. She only tolerates me for Lux's sake. You may despise me for what I did, and attack me in retaliation. I am only telling you what happened to keep things open between you. Otherwise it may have come out later out of context with a different connotation and hold more meaning than it actually did. She had nothing to do with it—it was all my folly. Do to me what you will," he concluded defiantly.

Ignis was staring Ardyn down, clenching and unclenching his fists.

Noctis stared at the two of them uneasily. Was he going to have to break up a fist fight between the two of them?

Ignis gave a weary sigh. "As much as I would like my fists and your teeth to have a meeting you won't soon forget, I believe I will forgo that pleasure for the moment. It is damned hard to retaliate against someone who has taken responsibility for their actions. It would be quite petty of me to strike you for that. However, if you hurt Aranea, you will face me. And you've seen what I can do by now," he concluded ominously.

Ardyn merely nodded. "It is as clear as the crystal we are bound to destroy. And it is not in my power to hurt Aranea. She'd have to care for me deeply in order for that to happen. It is you who has the power to do that to her though. Be sure that you do not."

"Point made," Ignis replied coolly. "Now, shall we move forward? I apologize for the temporary halt, Noct," he added.

"No need," Noctis replied. "We need to have the air as clear as possible between us to keep us fighting as a unit. I trust we are all good now?"

"Well said," Ardyn replied archly. "However, if we are clearing the air, I rather think there is quite a bit I need to do with you, Luna, and Iris as well. Do you really want to spend time on that? I fear it will take awhile."

"Maybe later," Iris spoke up. "For now we should get to the Citadel."

"That may be a bit of a challenge," Ignis replied uneasily, staring at a fixed point ahead of them.

They turned as one to see what he was talking about.

Row upon row of black crystals were lined up on the street in front of the Citadel. Even as they watched, tiny cracks began to appear in them. Tiny holes were being poked by something within, like a baby chick poking at its shell with its egg tooth.

The crystals broke apart to reveal their inhabitants.

Luna's blood ran cold. "Nyx," she gasped out. One of them was indeed Nyx. However, he was pale, partially decayed. It was as though Chaos had exhumed his body and was moving it around like a puppet. Nyx's eyes were plain white, soulless. That wasn't keeping him from fighting though. He drew his sword and strode towards them, purposefully, intent to kill in his stance.

He was not the only one. Iris stared in horror at the bald, cloaked walking corpse. "Dad," she gasped out. Noctis glanced sharply to see that it was indeed Clarus Amitica, poised with the same killing intent as Nyx.

Ardyn scanned the crowd. So many unfamiliar foes, but two stood out. "Verstael, Your Radiance! So good to see you again," he oozed out, surveying the corpses of Verstael Besithia and Emperor Aldercapt.

"Oh no," Luna cried out in genuine grief as she spied another foe striding forward, sword drawn, his black suit, silver hair, and clipped beard almost indistinguishable from his ghost-white face announcing his presence all too well.

Noctis saw him at the same time. "Dad," he ground out in horror, surveying the walking corpse that was once King Regis.


	75. Chapter 75: Crystal Royale

**Hi Everyone! Been awhile I know ;-) I've had some stuff written, but since I have a lot of concurrent events going on, I wanted everything written so I could best place everything. I think I have it now, so I should be able to get a few more installments out pretty quickly. Thanks to everyone who is keeping up with this story and hope you enjoy.**

* * *

For all of Cid's grumbling, he was quite efficient when direction was given. He and Talcott were already making their way to the refugee camp to warn the people there about the gap and to explain it the best they could. It was bearing fruit. They were even able to enlist some of those who had taken charge at the camp to help with the blockade.

Prompto and Cindy sprinted to the next bridge over to work as crowd control there.

Cor, Gladio, and Holly formed their own unit to follow suit at the final bridge crossing.

Ravus, Aranea, and Lux were left guarding the bridge that Noctis and crew had used to enter the city. They didn't have much to do though. Due to the presence of the airship, and the half-eaten truck, the refugees got the hint and had retreated back to the shore side camp.

"Do you, suppose they made it," Lux asked the group.

"I hope so," Aranea replied honestly. "Damn! I wish I was there with them so I'd know for sure."

"I second that," Ravus replied. "As much as I know my sister and Noctis can handle this, and I trust my Iris to hold her own, I'd feel much better seeing that with my own eyes."

"My Iris," Aranea replied teasingly.

Ravus brushed imaginary lint off his shoulder. "I believe you have no doubt seen us together enough to have gleaned the truth by now," he replied haughtily.

Aranea gave a gentle smile. "Yes. I, never thought I'd see you fall in love, but I think the two of you are great together."

Ravus's lips twitched in a half-smile, only to fade. "I only hope that nothing befalls her in there, or indeed, nothing happens to any of us."

"There might be a way in, guys" Lux replied warily.

"Let's drop this topic, now," Aranea ordered.

"One sec. Just hear me out. I am one of the crystal's chosen. Like Prompto said, you get it once it's always with you. I may be able to use that street cred to get us in."

"Prompto," Aranea grumbled in annoyance at the absent man who who had let that slip. "Not happening."

"I forbid it," Ravus spoke up, then gave an apologetic glance at Aranea in case he was overstepping. "The crystal has rejected me. It will destroy me and potentially you both along with me if we attempt to breach the barrier."

Lux sighed. "I'm just gonna go to get a closer look at the border. I promise I won't go in."

Aranea wanted to hold him back, but she knew she should grant him at least that. Otherwise his curiosity might get the better of him and he'd blunder in. "Ok. But, know if you go in and need help, we can't help you," she warned.

"I'll just stand behind the back of that truck," Lux promised, and wandered down the bridge to do just that.

Now that he was close to the barrier, he thought he could see it. There was a slight shimmer. A flicker that you wouldn't know was there unless you were looking closely. He remembered his days in the Citadel talking to the crystal, and the strings of lies he had had to tell Belenus.

"Crystal. I know you can hear me," he whispered. "You know Noctis and the guys are coming for you. As the last one to wield your power, I'm the only one who can stop them. I can't do it alone though. If you let me and Aranea and Ravus in, together we can stop them. They won't suspect us. It's the only advantage you have right now."

"I, know you have rejected Ravus before. However, he is strong—he was not totally consumed by you. He's a strong ally for us and will help if you accept him now."

Would the Crystal, or Chaos, or whoever it was, buy it, Lux wondered. Belenus had, but he was blinded by hatred of humans. Would Chaos believe him? Would he, let them all in?

The barrier cleared right in front him, as though fog had suddenly been lifted. He could see through it to the ravaged city.

"What the hell did you do," Aranea gasped out from behind him.

"You can see the hole too," he asked excitedly. "I, think I got the barrier to open. You know, if you want to go after them. I, think I have to go with you though or Chaos will get mad."

Aranea tossed her head in frustration. She knew when she had to cut her losses. The suddenly open barrier was too great a chance to pass up. And more reinforcements for Noctis and the guys was always useful.

She glanced at Ravus. He too was staring at the gap. He nodded assent. He evidently agreed with her.

"Ok. We'll go in," Aranea replied decisively. "But you stick with us and do exactly as we tell you. If we tell you to run and leave us to save yourself, you do it. Understand?"

"Yep. Not sure how long it will stay open," he said leadingly, which urged them forward.

"How the hell did you do it," Aranea demanded.

"I'll tell you after we get in," he promised.

The barrier closed behind them with an ominous finality. Lux knew they could not get back until they had done what he had "promised" or they destroyed the crystal. He had to hope the crystal did not realize he had no intention of betraying Noctis and the guys. He, Ravus, and Aranea would be there to help them. In any way they could.

* * *

Noctis sized up the crystalline foes. He recognized Regis, Clarus, and Aldercapt of course. He had never met Nyx but knew him by reputation. The man Ardyn had called out as Verstael made Noctis give the old man a closer look. So, this was the man whom Prompto was cloned from? It wasn't like it was easy to tell—the decayed bodies made it a little more difficult to tell what they had once looked like in life, but he thought he could discern Prompto's bone structure in the old man's face.

The army behind them—were people he did not recognize. And this pained him just as much as seeing those he knew. Who had these nameless people once been? Had he met them in his journey ten years ago? Had they given him quests—offered him advice? Or were they even older—people from history who were being directed to kill those they have never met? Either of which was horrible. None of them, known or not, deserved this.

His gaze shifted towards Regis—his dad—what was left of him. Noctis's shoulders slumped in resigned despair when he realized what he had to do.

"Fighting a corrupted loved one? How cliché, and unnecessary," Ardyn mocked from beside him.

"Shut it, Ardyn," Ignis snapped back on Noctis's behalf, his cultured accents giving way in the heat of the moment to a crude anger.

"Do you really have it in you to slay one of your own? Do any of you," Ardyn asked intently, including Iris in his question.

Iris was sizing up Clarus, tears in her gaze. Did she really have to do this? After all of this, Chaos was demanding this of them too?

"I rather believe I have my answer," Ardyn replied matter of factly, earning a hiss of frustrated anger from Iris.

Luna gasped a warning a split second before Aldercapt lunged, getting simultaneous parries from Ignis and Ardyn in the process.

"Naughty, naughty, Your Radiance. I was talking," Ardyn mocked, before striking again to force him back.

"None of you face off against your loved ones," Ardyn ordered decisively. "We don't need a 'I must kill you but I can't situation'. Handle the others. And leave Regis to me," he demanded to Noctis.

"He does have a point, Noct," Ignis replied almost apologetically, back to his normal calm. "If we hesitate, we will die. Perhaps it would be better to be more selective against our opponents and avoid ones we have a personal connection to."

"If anyone is, handling my dad, it's me," Noctis replied just as decisively as Ardyn. "That way I can make, whatever I have to do as painless as possible."

Ardyn gave a put-upon sigh. "Very well. That leaves me with Clarus then, I think. To be perfectly frank with you, my dear, I do not think you have it in you to dispose of your own father," he indicated to Iris.

"How dare you," she began, just to see Ardyn totally ignoring her and sauntering towards the elderly balding man.

"This is the least I can do for you after, what I've done," Ardyn commented again gravely.

This gave Iris pause—Ardyn was actually trying to make amends? Any musings in that regard were cut off as Nyx tossed a magic-infused dagger towards her, forcing her to twist aside an instant before he followed it, warping to where the dagger landed. She countered with a bullet that he, with the reflexes honed by his life as a Kingsglaive, sliced out of the air.

"Thank you for taking the decision out of her hands, Noble Knight," Ardyn muttered, surging forward to engage Clarus.

Noctis stepped forward towards Regis, shoulders squared to take on the necessary burden.

Ignis sized up who was left. There were still too many players on the board. Even with Clarus, Regis, and Nyx engaged, that still left Aldercapt, Verstael, and the horde behind them. He could not handle this many on his own.

Luna had some ideas of her own. Ignis watched her move in a graceful dance, her gestures flowing as she created not one shield but many, keeping each duel self-contained; as well as keeping the remaining army out. She was keeping the fight fair, but it was at a cost. She could not release the shields and fight herself. Ignis would have to guard her.

And start his duties right now, he observed, as he saw Verstael and Aldercapt turn as one and simultaneously smash the shield separating them from Luna and Ignis. They surged towards Luna with deadly intent. Ignis moved, instinct pushing him in front of her to block their attack—one dagger in each hand as he blocked Aldercapt with one and Verstael with the other. It was a slick move that he had not even intended, but it was enough to make them draw back for the moment. Verstael even nodded with respect an instant before he lunged again with Aldercapt a moment behind. Could Ignis take on two at once? He had no choice but to try.

* * *

The last time Noctis had seen Regis was when he had sent him off in the Regalia before Noctis's aborted wedding. Regis had not been young, but had still held regal vitality combined with the wisdom of age—both of which had rankled Noctis at the time. Noctis had been, a brat—he could say that now looking back to his old self. He had thought himself so mature, going off to get married. He had had no clue about the undercurrents going on around him. He had not even questioned why he was being sent away on the eve of the historic peace between warring nations. He had never thought that would be the last time he would see his father alive—until now.

If "alive" was even the right term for what stood before him. It was Regis all right, but how he would have looked embalmed. His eyes were colorless, his gaze soulless. His skin was bluish white, only a few shades off from his beard.

This was not his dad, Noctis attempted to rationalize it. Regis wouldn't want to look like this, be like this. He had to end this quickly. He rose his sword.

"You are quite grown up I see," Regis commented—voice the same as it ever was.

Noctis jumped back, alarmed, as shocked as if a houseplant had started talking to him. But if he could speak, he could be reasoned with.

"Dad, you don't have to do this," Noctis said, pleadingly. "We, have to destroy the crystal. It is the only way to end all of this."

Regis shook his head sadly. "You would destroy the very thing that our family has been protecting for generations? You already threw away your birthright," he snapped with a pointed look to Ardyn, new wearer of the Ring of the Lucii. "Will you really forsake the Caelum name by doing this as well?"

Noctis gaped at him. He had always thought his father the wisest man he knew—the man who knew all the ins and outs of the crystal. Could he really be so clueless? So blind?

"The way I see it, dad, my birthright is to bring and keep peace. Not to protect a damned crystal."

"The crystal is keeping the peace. Don't you see that," Regis countered. "For generations it kept our fair city shielded—its magic barrier protected us from the evils of the world."

"It lured dark forces to our doorstep," Noctis returned. "And it did jack shit for Galahd or any of the communities along our border!"

"Language, my son," Regis replied sharply, as if Noctis were eight years old and saying a bad word. "An unfortunate consequence, but war is hell, Noctis, as you well know."

This was not his father, Noctis thought to himself again. This time, it wasn't an attempt to rationalize what he had to do. He felt it as a certainty now. It was as though something else were speaking through Regis. It was his voice, but everything else was wrong. His dad 's goal as king had been to protect as much as he could. He abhorred war. He never would have blithely written off his borderlands as causalities of it.

"So," he asked his non-father. "Do you think war is necessary if it's for the greater good?"

"Of course," Regis replied. "As King one must always be ready to fight for the good of the many."

"I agree," Noctis replied calmly, and lunged.

"Don't take this too personally, dad," Noctis commented scathingly as his sword intersected Regis's. "But the greater good dictates I do this, even if I have to go through you!"

Regis countered with a brutal lunge, forcing Noctis backwards to fall into Luna's shield wall. He heard an ominous crack, then saw the glimmer of light as the crack repaired, keeping him within the makeshift arena once more. Luna was able to hold it. That meant she was doing ok, for now. He had to finish up here soon to help her though.

He shook off his momentary distraction, just in time as Regis (he could call him that, just not dad) lunged again. From there, it became a sword fight—a duel between two ideals, two different approaches to kingly rule. Despite his unearthly form, Regis still fought like the king he had once been—the man who had been able to hold his own against the Imperial Army.

Noctis was sweating from the exertion, his arm muscles cramped from absorbing the repeated blows reverberating on his sword. Everything was being parried, but at least he was managing to parry in return. Still, symmetrical fighting couldn't last. Despite the powers he had, he was still human. And Regis, while older and (in theory anyway) more frail, still had the dark powers of the crystal on his side. Noctis had to end this, somehow. And only one way occurred to him.

He overrode years of instinct. He let Regis's next thrust past his guard, twisting his body at just the right moment so that Regis's sword impaled his shoulder rather than his heart. Noctis winced as he felt it slide clean through, powered by Regis's strength. There, Noctis thought—at least Regis's sword is blocked by something. Even if that something was Noctis's own flesh, muscles and bones, and he was likely to pass out in a matter of moments from loss of blood...

As Regis struggled to withdraw his sword, Noctis did his best to overlook the pain and lunged himself, aiming for Regis's heart. Struggling the way he was to withdraw the sword, Regis was unable to move, block, or evade. "Sorry, likeness of dad," Noctis thought as his blade drove home—or tried to. Regis's self-preservation instinct took over, causing him to release the sword and jump back. Noctis missed.

It was Noctis's turn to jump back, a move that made him dizzy from blood loss. Regis was staring back at him gravely. "A noble attempt, my son. However, I fear it was unsuccessful. You are not the king I thought you would be," he said, disappointment and disillusionment in his tones. "Unfortunately, it is up to me to take the throne back." He stood back, arms folded. Regis didn't even think it was worth his time to finish Noctis off, Noctis realized in dazed surprise. He was just going to wait until Noctis succumbed to his injuries and collapsed.

It wouldn't be long, Noctis realized—he was beginning to feel cold. Reality was receding. Regis was right—his ploy had failed. Failed…the word swirled around in Noctis's head, bouncing like a pinball. No. This, thing did not have the right to tell him he was a failure—that he was a disappointment as a king.

With a last burst of effort, he wrenched Regis's sword from his shoulder, giving him a sword in each hand. He thought he would vomit from the pain, but stayed upright. Regis had a second to look startled as Noctis lunged—both swords landing with an almost archer's-like precision into his heart. Regis collapsed, killed instantly. Or at least whatever the equivalent was for something already dead.

Noctis stared down at the fallen body. Black mist swirled above the remains, evaporating away, leaving Regis himself as he had appeared in life, lying there as though asleep.

"Sorry, dad," Noctis whispered, words slurring with the effort to stay conscious. "For better or worse, I am King now. And I say the crystal goes to hell."

Regis's eyes were closed, his face relaxed in an expression of peace. However, his mouth seemed to curve into a relieved smile. Was Noctis really seeing this, he wondered, or was it some kind of blood-loss induced hallucination? Regis's now human body shattered into myriad crystal shards and disappeared. Along with Noctis's consciousness.

* * *

Even with two daggers, Ignis could not easily handle two foes at once. And Aldercapt and Verstael were making him do just that. There was no standing aside to take turns or to give him a one on one duel. When one would lunge, the other would attempt to sneak behind him. When one would try flanking him, the other would sweep in towards Luna.

He was also facing off against two different fighting styles and weapons. In the scheme of things, Aldercapt was the "easier" one to deal with as he used a sword. Ignis had seen enough swordsmen in his time to know how they fought and their strengths and weaknesses.

Verstael, on the other hand, was tricky. He had been a scientist in life, of course. One typically expected scientists to be more thinkers than fighters. However, Verstael was breaking that stereotype. His weapon of choice appeared to be gloves with syringes as the fingers. Ignis didn't want to know what was in them, or what would happen if they made contact. He had to assume they were poison and proceed accordingly.

He didn't like making assumptions. Inductive reasoning was not something he was comfortable with. He preferred scientific observation in battle. To be able to observe from a distance first, find a weak point, and lunge forward to exploit it. He did not have that luxury here. He was being forced to be aggressive. To keep both Verstael and Aldercapt engaged and focused on him, while also doing his best to avoid Verstael's poisons. He had to keep away from the shield barrier. With their strength and his, they would break it all too easily if they made direct contact. If they broke through, Luna would be killed and they would all be overrun.

However, where Ignis did not have the luxury of observing, Verstael, ever the mad scientist, did. He was taking Ignis's measure while Aldercapt was directly engaging. And right as Ignis had successfully parried Aldercapt, forcing him back, Verstael struck, plowing into Ignis with enough force to knock his glasses off. Before Ignis could even think of retrieving them, Verstael reached them, crushing them under his boot heel.

Verstaell laughed derisively. "I hope your hearing is better than your vision, four eyes," he taunted, his normally raspy voice taking on a more monstrous extreme in his undead state.

Ignis was blinking desperately, trying to clear his suddenly blurry vision when both Verstael and Aldercapt struck at the same time. Ignis had a split second to realize that this was probably how his past foes had felt at the moment of defeat when he heard a shattering sound behind him. Even Verstael and Aldercapt skidded to a halt to stare warily at the source.

"I never thought I'd see you bastards again," Aranea commented derisively, stepping forward to stand beside Ignis. He had no idea how she had made it here, but despite the danger, he was glad she was here. He dimly registered that Luna had once more closed the shield behind them.

"I've got Verstael. You take Aldercapt," Aranea ordered briskly.

"He's the tougher of the two," Ignis replied warningly.

"He's the one who stole my DNA," Aranea spat out coldly.

That said it all right there. Ignis readied his daggers and strode purposefully towards Aldercapt.

Aranea's polearm was poised, ready to return Verstael to hell.


	76. Chapter 76: Ask DNA

**Hi Everyone! I've been stalling a bit on giving out the next part since I don't have much after this. Real life has intruded in a big way that has made me too sad to write. It's hard when your parents get older. Anyway, I hope to cheer myself up with more writing soon. Thanks to everyone who is following along, and I hope you enjoy the action!**

* * *

A gun against a set of daggers should have been a no-brainer, Iris thought in disbelief as Nyx swiped yet another bullet out of thin air. This is where the drawbacks of ranged fighting occurred, she realized. A person with a gun was a powerhouse from a distance. However, what could you do up close and personal, if a point-blank shot was not feasible?

But then again, Nyx was not hampered by the traditional drawbacks of knife-fighting. He was using his daggers as throwing knives, aiming to stab her. Alternatively, he was using them for maneuverability—as a mechanism to warp around the arena Luna had set for them. With Iris hampered by the drawbacks of gunplay and with Nyx not hampered by the drawbacks of blades, where did that leave her?

She had never thought she'd have to face off against Nyx. She had never met him herself, him having been away in the wars until shortly before the peace treaty. However, Clarus had spoken of him in glowing terms, as one of the most promising recruits he had ever had. Iris was seeing why. She could only wish it wasn't under these circumstances.

She parried Nyx's next dagger toss with her shotgun—using her gun like a baseball bat to swipe the dagger aside. It was enough for Nyx to pause for a moment in amusement twinged with respect.

"Do you really want to do this, Ma'am," he asked her, affably, but with an underlying threat, giving a clear message of what he would do if she continued fighting. His voice was not what one would expect of a decaying corpse. While his ruggedly handsome face was marred with decay, corpse-white, his voice was still deep, compelling, and young. It reminded Iris how young he had been when he died.

She froze for a moment. Was he actually a foe here? His using words against her instead of straight up violence hinted that maybe he did not want to kill her. Still, he had attacked first. "You aren't leaving me much of a choice," she countered, keeping a wary distance.

"You want destroy the crystal. As a Kingsglaive, I cannot allow that," he replied decisively.

"I heard your story from Luna," Iris replied. "You gave your life to protect Insomnia. You stood up to save it even after the crystal failed us. Why the hell do you want to protect the crystal now?"

Nyx clutched his head a moment as though he were in great pain, or as if the question hurt him. He shook his head to clear it.

"The crystal protects this city, so I must protect it," he finally replied. His response was monotone though, as though he were reciting it by rote without true conviction behind it.

Iris was studying him intently. Something was off about him. Was this actually Nyx? It was as though somebody else were speaking through him.

"It's the crystal isn't it," she demanded, drawing some conclusions. "It has brainwashed you to do its bidding!"

"You are wrong," Nyx returned coldly. "Stop thinking the crystal is some evil entity. It is protecting us."

"It is the embodiment of destruction! It is destroying us!"

Nyx shook his head regretfully. "You are leaving me no choice. I do not wish to kill you, but I will do what I must." He lunged forward, dagger in each hand, ready to use his size and muscle against her.

Iris brought her rifle up sideways, blocking the daggers, pushing back at Nyx with enough force to drive him a few steps back. The effort left her momentarily winded. Even Nyx was surprised at the ferocity of her move, staring back at her with an intrigued smile.

"I underestimated you," he commented, admiration in his tone. "Do you have a name?"

Now he was trying to be charming, Iris thought in amazement. And he would have been, even looking the way he did, except that he was attacking her.

"Iris Amitica," she replied.

He stiffened in surprise. "Clarus's daughter," he asked. "I should have guessed. You have the strength and tenacity of a Kingsglaive."

She may not have ever known him, but he was making this very difficult. Despite everything she was facing with him, he seemed, human. Too human. And that was a dangerous thing. She finally found somebody who was respecting her skill as a fighter. And he wanted to kill her.

"I am sorry," he said quietly, just before he made his next move.

"Don't hesitate," Iris was already reminding herself. That mantra saved her life, leaving her at least somewhat prepared when he lunged forward, daggers aiming for her throat.

She was still not totally ready for him though. There was no time to jump aside. He was just too fast. She abruptly knelt, a desperate measure to spare her throat and torso. He had no time to stop his momentum. He tripped over her, causing her to gasp in pain as his feet crashed against her body. He stumbled past her, giving her the opening she needed. She spun on her knees and shot from the hip. Her trajectory was low based on her kneeling position, but the shot connected, striking him in the back of the knee.

He grunted in pain as his leg gave way, forcing him to the ground. With two quick shots, Iris shot his hands, rendering them useless. The daggers skittered away well out of any reach he may have had left. He lay there flat on his stomach, black ooze rapidly spreading from his wounds. It was too undignified for a man like him, Iris thought.

She flipped him over, keeping a wary eye in case he tried anything else. She didn't know what he could do with his hands and leg out of commission, but he was a warrior. She still had to be prepared, and kindness in battle without that wariness could get you killed. Nyx stiffened at the contact, but otherwise made no move.

"You, should have just let me, die like that," he ground out as soon as he was on his back.

"You deserve better," she said sadly.

He looked ruefully at his equivalent of blood. It was evident that the shots had struck his arteries. There was no coming back from this, and they both knew it.

"The crystal wanted me to protect it. Yet it brought me back, like this," Nyx commented in cold anger. "It had no right! You need to destroy it. For the good of Insomnia."

Iris seriously doubted that her hollow victory against him had converted him to her cause. If he had been brainwashed by the crystal, it was apparent that he was no longer. Or perhaps he had simply lost the will to fight. She could not be sure, but seeing him like this, defeated and abased, pained her. She did not feel victorious by any means.

"I know. I will," was all she could gently say.

Nyx sank back against the ground in relief. "Thank you," he said, voice fading. "It's a shame I can't, ask you out," he replied with a rueful smile.

Iris felt like she would burst into tears, but managed an apologetic smile. "Thank you. However, I already have a boyfriend."

Nyx laughed weakly. "He's a lucky man. To the crystal with you," he ordered, eyes closing.

With the last of the black mist drained from his body, he reverted to the form he had had in life. Rugged, vital, every inch a warrior. Iris saw the man he had been a short moment before he disappeared, forever.

Iris blinked through her tears. If she was so grief-stricken from this, how would she ever be able to face her father? Still, she was of the same mind as Noctis. She needed to make sure her father's passing was the easiest possible. And she didn't trust Ardyn to do that. With a last glance to where Nyx had been, she left the arena, and prepared herself to face her father.

* * *

"That is not much of a sword," Ardyn mocked Clarus Amitica. "Your son's is much bigger," he added tauntingly.

"Say that again when it's rammed in your heart," Clarus returned, lunging forward in an attempt to do just that.

"Oh, you can try, old man. However, you will not succeed," Ardyn drawled, allowing Clarus to stab him right where Clarus wanted to. He felt the blade pierce his heart. He gasped in pain for a moment, but there was no blood, no death. Ardyn's curse was serving to be a mixed blessing, again, he thought dryly.

He pulled the sword out and handed it back to a horror-struck Clarus with an amused smirk.

"What, are you," Clarus gasped out.

"Oh, just a man of no consequence," Ardyn mocked, enjoying himself immensely. He may be taking care of him for Iris's sake. However, that did not preclude him from having fun first.

Or perhaps it did, as he heard the crystal shield break behind him.

"I will take it from here," Iris stated bluntly, sizing up her father. It was a disgrace what the crystal had done to him. His once wise weathered face was cracked and festering, overcome by the darkness of Chaos.

"Iris," Clarus commented brokenly, taking a few steps towards her.

"Ah ah ah, 'Daddy,'" Ardyn mocked, stepping between them. "I don't particularly wish to watch a father kill his daughter, or vice versa."

"Stay out of this, Ardyn," Iris hissed out. "I am going to do this right. Now move!"

"Iris," Clarus pleaded. "You must not destroy the crystal. If you do, I will be, forced to harm you. Please, leave this place."

Iris swallowed hard. Her father was still in there—he wasn't just some possessed zombie. And she, had to stop him. Her hands shook on her gun. Aiming it would be difficult through her tears, but she would manage it. She had to.

Ardyn sighed. She couldn't do this. As usual, it was up to him. He lunged forward, ready to end this quickly. Only to feel a bullet strike him in the back of the head. He rolled his eyes and turned to face Iris.

She had not missed. She was glaring at him defiantly, gun still smoking. She had been aiming for him.

"I told you to stand clear, Ardyn," she ground out.

"I was only trying to help," Ardyn replied mockingly. "It is a cold person indeed who can slay their own father. You are quite similar to Prompto, and he could barely manage it. And Verstael is a monster."

"Pot, kettle," Iris spat back.

Ardyn stepped aside with a shrug. "Suit yourself, dear. Enjoy your patricide." He broke through the barrier, leaving Iris alone with her father.

Iris wished he would lunge, to make what she had to do easier. Yet he did not. Clarus merely stood there with a despairing look on his face. It was as though he were trying to steer her from her course, but did not know how.

"Dad. The crystal has to be destroyed. It is the source of darkness and evil. Even Nyx sees that. Please, help us destroy it."

For one second, she thought she had gotten through. He looked ready to agree with her. Then his expression changed as though someone had hit a switch. She could see Chaos's brainwashing in full force.

"Nyx is a misguided fool," he stated coldly, no longer his voice, but someone speaking through him. "The crystal protects us all. Ardyn Izunia is true evil, yet you will stand with him against your own father? You have disgraced the Amitica family name. And for that you shall die." He lunged.

Iris was shocked and appalled at the vicious words. She disobeyed her own advice. She hesitated just a second too long. And it was about to cost her dearly. The blade slashed down with enough strength to slice her in half. She had no time to block, even less to dodge. It was her own damned fault, she thought in bitter despair. Ardyn had been right about her, and she hated it…

The blade closed in, just to meet resistance at the last minute. She was almost deafened by the loud clash of blades so close to her ear. She turned sharply to see a white-clad white-haired figure blocking Clarus's blade. Her knight in shining armor. Ravus. She didn't know how he was here, but he was. He had evidently not trusted her after all, she thought. She would accost him about that later, but for now, she was glad he was here.

"I do not wish to harm my potential father-in-law, yet I will if I'm forced to," Ravus commented calmly.

His comment didn't even register. Clarus began ferociously engaging him. Iris had to accept the fact that her father was now gone.

It was not a fair fight to be sure. However, Clarus was trying to kill the man she loved. She had to do it. She raised her pistol and shot Clarus right behind the ear. The back of his head blew messily away, leaving a black mist in its wake.

Clarus crumpled to the ground at the same time Iris ran to him. Ravus dropped to his knees beside the body.

Clarus still had the front of his head—barely. His face was still attached. As the black mist swirled out into an oozing puddle behind his head, what was left of his face turned human. It was as though the mist had been the source of the decay, and perhaps his brainwashing.

"Is it true you are going to marry my daughter," Clarus asked Ravus in a faint faltering whisper.

"If she will have me, yes," Ravus replied gently.

"I will. If Ravus wants me," Iris added shyly.

Clarus smiled. His hand reached out weakly. Iris took it, just for him to move her hand to Ravus's. It was symbolic—he would not be there to give her away at her wedding. This was the best he could do.

"Protect her, just as you did today," Clarus requested. "I, am sorry, Iris. I, did not mean to try to-it, was the crystal. It, must be destroyed."

Iris could not respond. If she tried to speak, she would just sob. She had already had to face the loss of her father. Now she had to again. She had not seen him at the end, his real end. She was seeing him now. And she wasn't sure which was worse. She merely nodded.

It was enough. Clarus fell back with a faint relieved smile, and shattered into nothingness.

It had to be done. She told herself. To fall apart now was a weakness that she could not afford—Ravus put his arm around her and held her close. The tenderness broke her. She collapsed against his strong shoulder, crying as though she would never stop.

* * *

Aranea knew she could not let fury drive her in battle. It left you too open, too vulnerable, and would get you killed. However, as she scanned Verstael's undead face, she felt an uncontrollable rise of visceral hatred. He liked playing with people's genetic material, did he? Perhaps he'd care to sample some of his own, when she used her polearm to bash him like a pinata.

Verstael was not rushing to engage, using the time instead to size her up as a foe, or perhaps a specimen on a slide.

"You have barely aged at all," he rasped. "I knew you'd be the perfect complement to Adagium's greatness."

Aranea's fingers clenched on her polearm. "I thought it was all blood type related," she replied scathingly, keeping her control with an effort.

"Some cultures believe blood type determines who you are," Verstael returned calmly. "Yours denotes strength—a strong enough will to prevent Adagium's genes from taking full control of a host."

"Lux is not a host. He is a human being that you created. That you left in a tube for ten goddamned motherfucking years!"

Verstael waved that away impatiently. "It, oh I'm sorry, he as you call it, would not have existed if it weren't for me. I wouldn't call that human."

"I am not getting into a what is life debate with you you depraved son of a bitch! You violated me, and Ardyn by taking our genes without our knowledge or consent, and created life that you proceeded to abandon!"

Verstael chuckled derisively. "Did you really not know, Commodore Highwind? You knew all our little secrets. You knew we were weaponizing daemons. You helped us harvest them in fact. Did you really think any of that would not touch you? You preach to me about culpability? Your hands, your whole body, in fact, are just as dirty."

Aranea felt like she got punched in the gut. Everything he had said was what had already crossed her mind. She had been a party to it—she should have known earlier and done something about it.

"I am quite surprised at your concern for Adagium, er sorry, Ardyn though," Verstael continued. "He knew all about what I was doing, what benefit his genes had to my research. I'm the one who released him from his prison. He owed me. I'm sure he would have conceived offspring with you the natural way if I had demanded it."

Aranea felt a trickle of ice down her spine at Verstael's words. Had Ardyn known all along? No. She had seen his reactions to Lux. He had not planned for any of this and was doing what he could to play the hand he was dealt just as she was. She remembered his kiss—how overpowered she had been. He could have ignored her consent and done just what Verstael had insinuated. Yet, he had not. He had respected the boundaries she had set. Verstael was full of shit. Ardyn was, despite all odds, better than that. Verstael didn't know Ardyn at all!

She knew more about Ardyn than a scientist who had been acquainted with him for thirty years knew about him, she realized smugly. This realization returned her to an icy calm. Verstael's ignorance had blinded him, just as he had attempted to do to Ignis. She would make him pay, dearly for that, and for everything else. Revenge was a dish best served cold. She would be the frozen dish that should have at least been microwaved a few seconds first before serving.

"I wonder why you used stolen DNA and test tubes then, if you were so sure Ardyn would do your bidding," she returned mockingly, not really expecting a reply.

He had one though. "Human wombs are inconsistent and unreliable. I needed more control than that," he returned clinically.

Aranea was still calm, but mixed in was cold, bitter disgust. His opinion of women was all too clear. To him they were liabilities that had no say in what happened to their own bodies. She would show him what it was like to be killed by one. Still, the needles he wielded were a problem. She didn't want any of the shit inside them to transfer to her. He'd have to be close to hit her. She had range.

And she used it, sprinting forward, polearm before her like a jouster to strike him in the chest. She would have preferred him to make the first move, but he was waiting forever. And she didn't want to hear anything else he had to say.

Her dragoon vision, sensitive to movement, saw it—the silvery glint of the needle as it shot its way towards her. He could use them as projectiles? Shit, she thought, leaping into the air, missing the needle by millimeters. She was vulnerable in the air when the foe knew she was there—she could not strike, but could be hit by projectiles. Verstael knew that—she could already see another needle flying towards her. She spun to keep herself moving. A moving target would be harder to hit.

She landed behind him—a useless gesture since he merely turned to face her. Still, he was now down two needles. If she could avoid the other eight, he'd be defenseless.

"I forgot you have those fascinating dragoon abilities," Verstael commented excitedly. "I do hope you show me more before I kill you."

"Oh, you will get to see plenty. For all the good it does you," she replied, leaping sideways to attempt to flank him. It was unsuccessful, which did not surprise her. Yet, it forced him to change tactics. He lunged forward in an attempt to strike her at close quarters.

It was a decoy though. She knew it. A man like him wouldn't lunge unless it was a sure thing. She saw the next needle fly the second he launched it and dodged again. And then there were seven, she thought mockingly.

She hated this—it was more of a battle of attrition. Or a contest of wits and intent. Still, she was the one who had to take him down. She was Lux's mother after all. She needed to kill the man who had mistreated him the most. It mattered more to her than anything Verstael had done to her in the process.

Small but deadly weapons were the hardest for a polearm to strike. Swords could be countered with the weight and counterbalance of the weapon. Even daggers were big enough targets to easily deflect. A gun about to fire was easy to see and dodge with dragoon speed. However, tiny projectiles like needles or throwing stars were a bitch and half. It was rare that she faced them. However, when she did, it was a challenge.

Jumping attacks were only successful when you had the element of surprise. That left a lot of her conventional attacks useless. What was left to her? It was those damned needles that were the problem. If she could get him to shoot more and miss…

She jumped again, keeping a wary eye on the needles. She saw him launch three in quick succession. Three more down, she thought. Now she just had to dodge them. Dragoons were meant to be in the air. She twisted, somersaulted, and pirouetted in an aerial display that would have put acrobats to shame, and succeeded in dodging them. Or so she thought.

She knew something was wrong when she landed. Her legs felt rubbery, like she had been given a tranquilizer. She glanced down sharply to see one of the needles lodged in her thigh. The blasted things were so sharp that one pierced right through her leather armor! She yanked it out with shaking, fumbling fingers.

Verstael was smiling. His corpse face locked in a rictus grin. "Finding it a bit difficult to stand, are we," he mocked.

"What, the hell did you give me," she demanded, leaning heavily on her polearm as a cane.

"That one is quite ingenious actually," Verstael replied smugly. "It paralyzes your motor muscles while keeping your involuntary muscles intact. You can breathe, think, and the like. You just cannot move. I find it quite useful when performing my experiments. I need my subjects alive, but immobile, you see."

"You, bastard," she ground out. Even talking was becoming difficult.

"The effects are sadly temporary. However, it will give me plenty of time to take samples of every type of cell in your body," he gloated, advancing towards her. "The sample I had only scratched the surface. If I had more of you, think of what else I could create!"

Aranea's legs could no longer hold her. She collapsed to the ground first on her knees, then falling backward as her knees and hips could not support her kneeling. Verstael chuckled again as he stood over her, peering down as though she were a buffet that he had no idea of what to sample first. He missed the flexing of her fingers on her polearm, his only warning. She struck him in the crotch with all of her remaining might. It wasn't full strength, granted, but against a sensitive area, it was more than enough. He fell back, howling in pain.

She used her polearm as leverage, bypassing her legs as she pole-vaulted forward to land on her knees beside him. She used her polearm to keep herself upright. She had to sacrifice her weapon to be a makeshift limb, but she still had her right arm. It was weakening fast though. She had to make it count. She punched him in the face with a force that knocked him back, then grabbed his hair to repeatedly smash his head against the ground. He was punch-drunk, groggy, gasping in agony.

She sacrificed her weapon and her dignity, lifting the polearm, allowing herself to lose the support it was providing and collapse against Verstael's chest. She fought a wave of nausea at being so close to this depraved bastard, as well as from the smell of his decaying flesh.

She could barely see, being face-down and hanging over his shoulder, but her instincts were on point. She drove the polearm down into his face, relying on the weapon's small surface area to provide localized force right between Verstael's eyes. Even without the extra force distance would have provided, the pinpoint pressure drove home, striking him with a lethal combination of a bludgeon and bullet.

Aranea couldn't see the gruesome results, but she heard it. The sickening crunch immediately followed by a death rattle. She was lying on the disgusting corpse of the most revolting being she had ever known, but for now there was nothing she could do about it. She had won. That was enough.

His body shattered, disappearing. She landed face-down on the ground with more of an impact than she would have wanted, but it least he was gone. This was the furthest she could move. Her polearm slipped from her now useless fingers and she drifted into a mix of exhausted sleep and unconsciousness.

* * *

 **I know Verstael didn't have weapons in the game, and we never really got a chance to fight him as a "human". However, I figured needles would be a logical choice for him. Forgive the liberties :) I got a Mayuri Kurotsuchi (Bleach) vibe from him as this took shape. Not sure if anybody else sees this? Hope you liked it!**


	77. Chapter 77: Blindsight

**Hi Everyone! Another chapter is ready. Hope you like it! Thanks again to everyone keeping up with this story.**

* * *

Ignis squinted at the undead swordsman before him. Between Aldercapt and Versatel, Aldercapt was the "easier" target. Ignis was almost ashamed, leaving Aranea to Verstael's not so tender mercies. He shook it off. Aranea was his battle partner. His better half. She was stronger than he ever was, he thought with a flash of admiration and adoration. When they finished this—he broke off as he saw the blur of movement. Aldercapt, sword drawn, was lunging again.

Despite him being more a more straightforward opponent, Aldercapt was still not a cakewalk by any means. What he lacked in youthful agility he made up for in brute strength and vicious desperation. And without Ignis's spectacles, his vision was compromised. He had gotten too used to having his vision back, Ignis realized in rueful surprise. He had only had it back a short time, but was already as dependent on it as he had been before he lost it in Altissia ten years ago. And that was a problem.

He twisted aside as Aldercapt's blade attempted to connect. He heard the sleeve of his silk shirt rip from the blow. However, he felt no flash of pain. It had just been his clothes, he thought with relief.

"The crystal, is mine," Aldercapt said, savagely, his greed for the crystal ever present.

There was no way out of this. Ignis had to take him down. However, daggers required precision strikes, and with Ignis only being able to see a few feet in front of him before things became a blur, that was difficult. Or was it? Ignis had fought daemons for ten years while being totally blind. He could do it again. Overriding every instinct he had, he closed his eyes, completely removing all visual stimuli. It was disconcerting—the total blackness. In that instant, Aldercapt struck again.

With his vision shut off, Ignis's senses of hearing, smell, and touch were amplified a hundred fold. He heard the rush of the blade as it sliced through the air, smelled Aldercapt's fetid flesh as he approached, felt the rush of air as the blade swept down. Ignis leaped aside, flawlessly, even more smoothly than he had dodged before.

"Running again? Stop being a coward and fight me," Aldercapt demanded from Ignis's right. Ignis, with his blindsight returning, judged him to be about ten feet to his right.

Aldercapt wanted a fight, did he? Ignis would give him one, but on his terms. Ignis smashed his daggers together, overclocking them with sparks of lighting. He felt the static charge in his hands and his hair standing on end. He heard the scuffle of feet to his right, about five feet away from his best judgement. He turned and unleashed the energy in a blinding flash. A flash he was immune from.

Ignis opened his eyes to see Aldercapt reeling back, frantically rubbing his eyes to regain his vision. Now the playing field was leveled, Ignis thought with satisfaction. He rubbed his daggers together like sticks to start a fire, infusing them with fire energy, and lunged. It was Aldercapt's turn to jump back. Well, stumble back in his case. Without sight he was disoriented, struggling to find where he spatially was. Even moving was a struggle.

Despite the fact that he was Ignis's enemy, Ignis still didn't want Aldercapt to suffer. Pummeling a blind man was especially distasteful. However, Ignis could not reason with him. This was not a man who could be reasoned with. He was not a ruler who could be appealed to. Any sense of loyalty to his people, if indeed he had ever had any in the first place, was eliminated long ago-even before the attack on Insomnia. His neverending greed for power had crushed his people, turning them into either fuel for the war machine or victims of its consequence. There was nothing left for Ignis to do except slay him.

He did so with efficient professionalism, using both flame-infused daggers to stab him in the heart. Aldercapt fell to the ground, dead instantly. An ironically similar death to King Regis's recent second demise had Ignis but known that. The flame energy of the blades did their work, cremating the remains, turning them to ash.

Ignis felt no satisfaction or triumph for his victory—it had been a means to an end, nothing more. He discovered the remains of his spectacles on the ground. The ear pieces were flattened. The lenses were scratched into opacity from the force of Verstael's boots and the hard ground. They were not salvageable. He scanned the army of unknowns behind the barrier. There was definitely more fighting in his near future, he thought with weary resignation. It looked like he would need to perfect his blindsight for the battle ahead.

* * *

"I need to be in there with the guys," Prompto stated for seemingly the thousandth time.

Cindy gave the barely visible barrier an intent look. It was still holding.

"I know, Prompto," she said gently. "But for now you're stuck with me."

"There are, worse people to be stuck with," he replied jokingly, but with a note of tenderness that Cindy found endearing. "At least, it's boring out here I guess," he added, with a pointed glance to the unmoving traffic on the bridge.

The populace had listened to them without much of an argument. Prompto wouldn't have thought he and Cindy would be able to exude much authority. However, with Cindy's reputation gained from holding Hammerhead together during the darkness, and his as a hunter and as one who had helped return the light, the populace had obeyed without question.

They were now alone on the bridge, with the line of abandoned cars before them and the illusory Insomina behind them. It was eerie, as though things were frozen in time.

"Do you, think they are ok," he asked Cindy. He needed her reassurance. The problem was, she wasn't sure she could give it. With the ten years of darkness, she thought she had seen it all. However, this was beyond even what she could understand.

"We have to trust in them," she finally said, not really giving an answer and hoping Prompto wouldn't notice.

He did notice, and gave her a sad smile. "Yeah. It sucks! I know they are in trouble, but I cannot help them. Iggy, Iris, and Noct took me in when I was a nobody—not even a Lucian. Aranea saved my ass in the Diamond Weapon facility. I can't pay any of them back."

Cindy knew there was nothing she could say to make things better. That telling him that there was more to helping than being on the front lines would be useless. All she could do was put her arm around him and offer silent comfort. He leaned into her, for the moment welcoming it.

"Have I, ever told you I love you, Cindy," he asked tentatively.

Cindy smiled tenderly. "I, do believe you haven't."

"Man I'm a wuss. I should have told you long ago," he stated resolutely.

"I should have told you the same thing," she countered. "I, never knew how I felt about you. It was only after you were, gone, that I realized what I had missed. I thought I was too late. For what it's worth, I'm glad you are here with me now."

Prompto cupped her chin and turned her face up to his. He was beyond words and he knew it. He dipped his head to hers and kissed her with what he hoped was an adequate blend of passion and tenderness. He was still unpracticed, untutored. However, Cindy didn't seem to mind. She returned everything he gave her with affection, passion, love, and everything she had. They were alone in this frozen world and would make of it what they could.

He finally broke away to draw breath and gazed down at her. "Did, I, do ok," he asked her uncertainly.

Cindy responded by standing on tiptoe and kissing him again, making her answer all too clear.

He would be ready for when the Insomnia barrier broke. Until that time, he had to worship the woman he loved.

* * *

"Who the hell do you think you are, blocking traffic like this," a surly man demanded to Cor, Gladio, and Holly. Despite the imposing appearance of Cor the Immortal and Noctis's sworn shield, this man was not appeased.

"Please return to your vehicle, Sir," Cor replied firmly, attempting to nip this in the bud. If the eavesdropping populace took this man's reactions as a rallying cry, they would have a horde of angry people on their hands attempting to force their way in. And he still did not know what was on the other side.

The man was not appeased. "I'm not going anywhere! I am staying right here until you get off the damn bridge."

Gladio growled in frustration and strode to the man's car, ignoring the man's indignant sputtering. He reached into the passenger seat and grabbed the man's jacket.

"What the? That's mine," the man countered.

"Go get it, then," Gladio snapped back, and tossed it through the barrier. The man watched in horror as it disappeared.

"See that," Gladio continued. "There is some kind of invisible barrier here. You go through it, you end up like the jacket. You get it," he concluded sharply.

"Wha—what is going on," the man returned shakily, clearly disturbed.

"King Noctis and, others, are checking it out as we speak," Holly spoke up. "In the meantime, you should fall back for your own safety."

The man began backing away uneasily. "Shouldn't you tough guys be with him," the man countered accusingly, still wanting someone to blame.

Gladio clenched his fists in frustration.

"We are evidently needed here to keep, people like yourself safe," Cor returned affably, but with a hard edge that even the irate man caught.

The man had had enough. He turned and walked away as sedately as he could, but with an edge of panic that made it obvious he would run as soon as he felt he was a "safe" distance away.

The rest of the crowd, seeing the man and the disappearing jacket, began backing warily away as well.

Holly saw the panic that was brewing. If they weren't careful they would have a stampede off the bridge. She climbed onto the roof of the lead car, put two fingers in her mouth, and whistled to get everyone's attention. She had a brief moment of stage fright as suddenly the eyes of a hundred people were upon her.

"Everyone, stay calm," she ordered as briskly as she could. "We have it under control here. We are the Kingsglaive and won't let anything happen to you. Just follow our instructions and proceed in an orderly fashion to the refugee camp across the bridge. There are other Kingsglaive there who will help you."

The air of command from someone a little less intimidating was what they needed. Like sheep obeying the shepherd, they did as ordered and evacuated the area with an efficiency born of shock that temporarily banished panic.

"So, you're a Kingsglaive now," Gladio asked dryly, frustration momentarily forgotten as he lifted Holly from the car roof and deposited her back to the ground. He still kept his burly arms around her though.

"It worked, didn't it," she countered. "Besides, I think I deserve that title by now, don't you," she added tartly.

"I have, another title in mind for you," Gladio replied suavely.

"What," she asked breathlessly.

"We should be watching the barrier," Cor interrupted, returning them to business.

Gladio glared at it, frustration back. "That prick was right. I should be in there with Noct. I'm his sworn shield and instead I'm out here guarding a fucking bridge!"

"You saw the jacket," Cor returned. "If we go in, we disappear like it. We can't take that risk. We must wait for Noctis and the others to open a path for us."

"And, you just assume that they will," Holly demanded.

Gladio's tense shoulders relaxed. "He's right. Noctis will do it. I know he will."

"It still blows my mind that a man as tough as you can be so soft around Noctis," Holly returned archly.

Gladio smirked. "I don't have to be a tough guy all the time you know."

Holly smirked back. "And you being able to admit that is why I love you," she replied flippantly, but with a tenderness that made it serious.

Gladio yanked her into his arms to kiss her senseless if he could.

Cor sighed, turning his back on them to give them some privacy, and to watch the barrier since it appeared they would be otherwise engaged for a bit.

* * *

Aranea felt warmth against her back. Evidently despite Verstael's poison, she was still able to feel tactile sensations. Yet, why was it warm? She had lost consciousness face down on the cold street. She jerked back to awareness just to feel a reassuringly familiar caress to her hair.

"Easy now, Aranea," Ignis said gently. She was lying in Ignis's lap with him gazing down in tenderness and concern.

"Your, glasses," she blurted out. Seeing him without his glasses with his green eyes unobscured was, strange. His glasses, whether his clear ones or the shades he wore when blinded had always been a part of him. It was almost like she was looking at a different man. Except that she recognized his touch, his smell. She knew for a fact it was her Ignis.

Ignis smiled ruefully. "This was the time I neglected to pack a duplicate pair. I shall have to do better next time. What happened," he asked sharply, returning to the present. "What did Verstael do to you?"

"Some kind of damned paralyzing toxin," she replied, and began flexing her fingers, toes, wrists, and ankles. To her relief, she was able to move them. "It seems to be wearing off," she reassured.

"Good," Ignis replied in relief. "However, will you still be able to fight?"

"How about you," she countered. Without his glasses they were in trouble.

"I have to," he replied.

"Well, then so do I," she returned.

"You don't have to, damn it," he replied sharply, relief from fear beginning to give way to anger. "You were safe. Why the devil did you come?"

"Oh, now this comes out," Aranea snapped back. "Did you really think I would let you have all the fun by yourself," she added flippantly. "Ravus, Lux, and I had the chance to enter, so we took it."

"Lux is here too," Ignis demanded.

"He was once chosen by the crystal too, so was able to come in. I'm still not sure how we were able to join him, but we had to come in together. It, was between keeping him safe and protecting you. I'm doing my best to do both. As soon as I saw what we were dealing with I told him to run back to the barrier. He can't leave, but he can be far away from here."

"For what it's worth, I am glad you are here," Ignis replied. "However, I would feel much better if we could return to Lux. As it is though," he gestured to the army that remained behind the barrier.

"The sooner we get rid of these bastards, the sooner we can see Lux again. That's enough incentive for me," Aranea replied bracingly, awkwardly rising to her feet. Her legs quivered a bit, but held her weight. Although, normal movement and battle movement were drastically different things.

Ignis surveyed her body as she moved.

"Assessing my curves at a time like this? Shame on you," Aranea mocked archly.

Ignis smirked. "I would admire them any time. However, I was actually checking how well you can move. I rather think dragoon leaps are out for awhile."

"Yeah, damn it, you're right. I've got a few more tricks up my sleeve though," Aranea replied. "And you kicked ass when totally blind, so I think you forgetting a spare pair of glasses isn't a problem, either. But, just in case, we can stick together to balance each other out.

"Sounds like a plan," Ignis replied. "Let us return the others and see how things are going."

He took Aranea's hand in his, and they retreated towards Luna.

* * *

Ardyn sized up the battlefield. Noct was in a bad way. However, Luna would no doubt fix him up forthwith. Aranea was safe in her lover's arms, as was Iris. He could not waste time with these small fry. He had a crystal to handle. He didn't want anyone to witness his sacrifice. All that mattered was that all of this ended.

He crashed through Luna's barrier, charging through the horde of additional nameless foes. He ignored them. Their blows were nothing to him. The crystal had made him immortal again. That was its last mistake. The Citadel, Ardyn's onetime fortress, was in reach. It was time for Ardyn to end this.

* * *

Aranea had ordered Lux to run away. Lux had promised her he would follow that order when they had first entered the Insomnia void. However, he was finding himself unable to do so. A liar just like his real dad Ardyn, Lux thought with a flash of bitterness. However, how could he just run away after seeing what his loved ones had to face? And he had the impression that there was no safe place in here anyway. If flight was out, then fighting was in. However, what could he do? He thought of his limited powers—warping would be useless about now, as would shapeshifting.

Lux watched Noctis defeat his opponent, just to collapse bleeding to the ground. He needed healing, but Luna had to use all her strength to keep the shields up. Everyone else was busy. It was up to him. Lux warped to the satchel lying by Luna's feet. He ignored Luna's cry of "Lux, get out of here," and rifled through it, his hands searching desperately for a tuft of phoenix down. He did not feel its softness. Just the smooth coldness of glass bottles.

Elixirs then, he decided. If he could get to Noctis quickly enough, that may work. He dredged out a bottle, just to find out it wasn't elixir. It was just potion. Not even a high potion easier. Just the weak sauce stuff designed for use by the rawest recruits. His knowledge of healing may be limited, but even he knew the garbage he beheld. "Damn it," he ground out, earning a shocked gasp from Luna at his language.

He fumbled in the bag further, just to find ethers, smelling salts, remedies. He grumbled in frustration. "Why do we have this—crap in here," he cried out.

"We didn't think we'd need that many healing potions with me here," Luna replied tightly. "We just packed the things that would keep me active and able to cast spells. If I had known we'd be facing this…" she left her sentence hanging in despair.

"Sorry," Lux replied, feeling that he needed to apologize although he was unclear what for. "I'll see what I can do for Noct," he reassured, and warped to the associated shield. Luna was a step ahead and gave him a gap to use for entry.

He smelled the blood from several yards away. This wasn't good, he thought, stomach churning in nausea at the smell. He still forced himself forward, following the trail of crimson to Noctis's prone form. Would this garbage potion be enough, Lux wondered in borderline panic as he saw the vivid gash in Noctis's shoulder, the radiating puddle of blood, and his chalk white face. Lux had to try. He knelt down beside Noctis, wincing as he felt the blood seep into his pants, uncapped the cork of the bottle, and poured it over the wound. He irrigated it—making sure the potion touched everywhere Lux could see.

He winced as he heard the hiss as the potion encountered wounded flesh. However, it appeared that the gash was shrinking in size, gradually becoming narrower and shallower. He was so intent on the wound that he almost missed the black mist forming out of the corner of his eye. He turned sharply, to see the purple-black fog taking shape as a, door?

Nobody emerged from it though. Instead, back mist rose from the ground before it, taking the shape of a black cloaked and hooded being. "You have betrayed me, boy," the being said, the voice androgynous and smooth.

Lux pieced together its identity instantly. "Oh hell no," he blurted out upon realizing that he was facing the embodiment of the crystal, Chaos as the others had come to call it.

"I expected it," Chaos replied gravely.

"Expected what," Lux replied defiantly.

"For you to betray me."

"But, you let me in anyway," Lux replied in confusion as he tried to piece together why. Ardyn and Aranea weren't fools. Neither was their offspring/clone. Lux realized it in a second. "You wanted us in here," he stated matter of factly. That was as far as he got. In the blink of an eye, faster than Lux could warp, the shadow closed in. Lux felt the sharp blow strike his head and it was the last thing he remembered."

Chaos caught him, and hoisted his unconscious body over its shoulder. "Correction, boy. I wanted you," it murmured, carrying the prisoner of war through the dark portal and away from the battle.


	78. Chapter 78: Lost Love Returned

**Hi Everyone! Been writing in binges, but taking a bit to polish things. I finally have another chapter ready to go! I just read the summary of _Dawn of the Future_ (the extra DLC stuff that was supposed to come out but won't). Really cool plot points in there, but let's just say mine will not comply with that bit of new canon. Hope that's ok ;-) Anyway, here goes and thanks as always for reading.**

* * *

With the "first wave" of foes dispatched, Luna was able to break some of the shields to save her energy. However, those were still a drop in the bucket compared to the main shield she had to keep active to keep the horde away. And she needed all she could to heal Noctis. Lux had tried to stabilize him, yet, where did he go?

Her concentration on the main shield almost gave way in panic. Lux had gone in to do what he could for Noctis. He should still be there. She felt a sinking feeling in her gut—even though they had had some victories, something was still very wrong. Aranea and Ignis limped to her side.

"Everyone all right," Ignis asked intently, surveying the allies as best he could through the blur of his missing glasses. He knew Luna and Aranea were, functional. As for the others, he could not tell.

"Iris and I are fine, given the circumstances," Ravus replied, striding up to the others with his arm around Iris.

"Yeah. I'm, ok," Iris confirmed.

"Noctis is down," Luna said, tones clipped in distress. "And I do not know where Ardyn and Lux are."

Ignis's eyes narrowed.

"Lux is safe," Aranea replied. "He should be far away from here."

"He took a potion and went to assist Noctis. Now, I don't know where he is," Luna replied in concern.

"Shit," Aranea cried out. "What the hell was he doing here! He couldn't have gone far then! You've kept the shield up, right?"

"But then, how did Ardyn get through," Ravus replied darkly.

"We have no time to conjecture," Ignis cut in sharply. "Noct needs healing, and we need to find Lux. Ardyn is a distant third at the moment."

"I can't heal Noctis without breaking the shield," Luna replied in frustration.

"What if you use me for an amplifier like we did with Iris," Ravus asked.

Luna pondered a moment. "It might work, if I sit beside Noctis and keep the shields going from there." She approached Noctis and plopped down beside him, her hands still out to keep the shield stable.

Ravus sat on his other side.

Luna kept her focus on the shield. "Ravus, where is he, wounded," she asked, attempting to keep her healer's calm, but the break in her voice betrayed her distress.

Ravus scanned him. "His shoulder. The bleeding is stopped. I assume it's Lux's doing. He's still breathing."

"Good," Luna replied with heartfelt relief. "Take my hand, then put your other hand on his shoulder. I will give you some of my powers. You have to be the healer here while I keep the shields up."

Ravus did as instructed, gasping at the sudden influx of heat and light as his Fleuret blood absorbed and amplified Luna's energy. His hands glowed, a beacon in the darkness, highlighting Noctis's gash.

"It's, almost to the bone," Iris ground out in horror.

"If it's still this bad after Lux used a potion on him, I suspect it was to the bone before Lux got to him," Ravus replied tightly.

Even as Iris watched, the wound gradually disappeared. The torn flesh joined together to a seamless whole.

"Keep your hold, Ravus. He still needs blood," Luna instructed.

"I know," Ravus replied tensely. He could feel the energy sapping his blood and transferring it to Noctis through the light. At least the Fleuret blood type was the universal donor, Ravus thought wryly. He didn't have to worry about poisoning Noctis. He was feeling poisoned himself from the pints he had given—he was feeling cold and queasy.

"You can let go, Ravus," Luna instructed.

He broke the contact, weakly. Iris was there, nudging his head down into her lap. "Don't faint on me now," she ordered.

Ignis was already squinting into Noctis's face, relieved at seeing the ghost-like pallor fading, returning to its normal color. Noctis stirred with a groan, and sat up, suddenly.

"Easy," Ignis replied sharply as Noctis fell back dizzily.

Luna glanced his way sharply in alarm, and to make sure he was safe. In that brief moment of lost concentration, the shield cracked, resulting in a few foes getting through.

Aranea, who had been pacing manically the whole time, was on it, surging forward awkwardly but capably to engage them.

"I'm glad you're ok, my love," Luna breathed in relief, returning her focus to the shield.

Noctis glanced at his shoulder and the drying puddle of blood. "Good job, guys," he said weakly, but with growing strength. "Everyone all right?"

"Not quite," Ignis replied, voice hard. "Lux and Ardyn are unaccounted for."

That galvanized Noctis into action. He rose to his feet, needing some assistance from Ignis, but was fine once standing.

Ravus didn't like being the last one on the ground. He awkwardly followed suit, stoically ignoring Iris's horrified expression. She evidently thought he would faint the instant he stood up. He was stronger than that. Even losing two pints of blood wasn't enough to do him in, although he did have to shake off some dizziness as he changed position.

Aranea defeated the foes and returned to the group. "We've still got a lot to do," she said sharply. "Everyone up to it?"

"There is no way we can defeat the horde," Ignis stated. "We just need to clear a path to the Citadel. I am assuming that is where Ardyn is going. However, if he's not there, it still behooves us to handle the crystal ourselves. It should be our goal."

Aranea looked at him as though he had betrayed her. "What about Lux," she demanded. "We can't just ignore him."

"You told him to run away, he didn't listen. Unfortunately he must face the consequences," Ravus replied coldly, adding himself to the conversation.

Aranea turned on him sharply, looking ready to strike him. "How dare you," she snapped back. "You act as though he stole a candy bar or something. He could fucking die! I am damned if I am going to let that happen!"

Noctis hated using regal hauteur, but he had to defuse this argument now. "If I may," he broke in coldly, arrogantly, every inch the King. "I'm guessing the crystal had something to do with Lux's disappearance. I assume if we find the crystal, we find Lux."

"Why would you think that," Aranea spat back, not mollified.

"Because the crystal is controlling everything else here. If these other guys," he gestured to the horde beyond the barrier, "are like who we already fought, they have no will of their own. They wouldn't have carried him off. And even if they had, I think we would have seen them. They are not exactly stealthy."

"Ardyn could have done it," Ignis reminded him.

"Yeah. And in that case he is probably still going for the crystal. Either way, that is where we should go," Noctis replied emphatically.

"Your logic is undeniable," Aranea spat back sarcastically, but with a rueful edge indicating she was backing down.

"How do we get past these bastards," Iris asked.

"Leave that to me," Luna replied.

* * *

The Citadel was empty, quiet, eerie. Evidently Chaos did not find it worth its time to place defenders here, Ardyn thought bitingly. Or it more likely had something else up its sleeve. Now Ardyn knew how Noctis had felt before confronting him, and it was not a pleasant feeling.

Let the others proceed carefully, looking for ambushes or traps, he thought mockingly. He was immortal and could warp. The corridors passed in a blur. He felt no injuries or attacks—it's not like Chaos's allies could harm him anyway. The only thing that slowed him down (briefly) was the elevator ride up to the throne room level. That is, until the anteroom outside the throne room where he was greeted by some familiar faces.

Aera and Somnus were in each other's arms, kissing passionately. Upon registering Ardyn's presence, they broke apart leisurely, almost mockingly.

Ardyn had wondered why Somnus and Aera were not out front. Evidently Chaos had been holding them in reserve just for him. He let his gaze rest on Aera for longer than was prudent. His eyes drank her in, a parched man in the desert encountering an oasis after an eternity of searching. She was not decayed by the darkness of the crystal as the others outside had been. She was just as ethereally beautiful as ever. Her skin was just as alabaster pale. Her flaxen hair looked as soft as he remembered.

She looked like the bastion of purity she had been. Except that her expression was wrong. Her gaze was cold, calculating. Her lips, that he had kissed so many times, were hardened into a mocking smirk, and reddened from his brother's.

"Oh, Ardyn," she cooed, her delicate bell-like voice also sounding just as he remembered. "I'm, sorry you had to see us like this, but really, I couldn't wait for you forever. Two thousand years is a long time, and I have needs after all. And, Somnus, well, he's here, and better than you ever were."

Somnus put his arm around her possessively. "And there's more of it too," he replied roguishly.

Ardyn sized up his brother. Aiden, having adopted the name of Somnus when they had started co-ruling. Ardyn had always hated the adopted name, but now he was glad of it. He did not want to associate this bastard with the twin brother he had been close with. Aiden had been his twin—the one who knew all his secrets. The one who Ardyn thought would be behind him thick and thin, as he had been to him. Somnus was the bastard who had betrayed him, killed Ardyn's beloved, imprisoned him, and now had stolen his beloved in the afterlife apparently.

Ardyn had last seen Somnus thirty years ago, when he had resurrected him to confront him for his misdeeds. Somnus looked the same as he always had, also unmarred by the crystal. Yet, he had always been marred. His arrogance and single-minded intolerance for those blighted by daemons had darkened him even more than daemons could ever do. Ardyn felt the rise of old hatred, now also tinged with the flames of jealousy.

Losing his cool here would do no favors—it was probably just what the crystal wanted. Although it galled him to think it, Ardyn was also unclear if Aera and Somnus were innocent-being possessed by the crystal as the others below had been, or if there were dormant otherwise buried desires that the crystal had brought forth. He couldn't lunge at them with fury and hatred no matter how much he might want to. He tamped his white hot fury and jealousy down as best he could, and gave them a mocking smirk.

"I see you have been keeping yourselves busy in the afterlife," he finally said, marveling at how calm he was. His time as Chancellor—charming the Gralean elite while secretly planning their gruesome demise had taught him well.

Aera responded with a Mona Lisa smile that revealed nothing. "Go downstairs, Somnus darling," she finally said. "I'll handle him."

"Do you really think I will let you get away," Ardyn snapped, and moved to intercept Somnus, only for Aera to leap between them. He skidded to a halt, flashbacks of their last duel in her presence rising to his mind.

It has been a setup just like this—Ardyn rushing to strike Somnus for his betrayal, just for Aera to jump between them. Somnus had been too close to stop his momentum, and had impaled her through the stomach. Ardyn had rushed to heal her, not realizing until then the cost of his powers of darkness, and that he could spread the Starscourge himself through any magical contact.

She had begged him for death. When he had hesitated, Somnus had grabbed his hand, forcing it down to finish the job. As she died in his arms, he finally realized the monster he had become. It is what set his dark course in motion, that forced him down the tightrope between savior and destroyer.

That he almost stabbed Aera again now nearly made him physically sick.

Somnus took advantage of his momentary hesitation to manifest a dark portal and leave the room before Ardyn could pursue, leaving Ardyn alone with his once lover.

"So, you would deny me my revenge then," Ardyn hissed, dangerously.

"If anyone deserves revenge here, it's me," Aera replied coldly. "You sullied me with your darkness."

"I was attempting to save you," Ardyn snapped back.

Aera did not grace him with a reply. She simply sized him up, her gaze as always far-seeing while giving nothing of herself away.

Ardyn returned the gaze, sizing her up as a foe, even though he had never thought in his darkest nightmares that he'd have to do so. As he did so, he let his fury and defensiveness slip behind the mask—he couldn't afford to let her get the upper hand here, emotional or otherwise.

"You have not changed at all in two thousand years," she finally said. "You are just as handsome as ever."

"And you just as beautiful," he returned suavely. "At least on the outside," he added darkly.

She bristled. "What is that supposed to mean," she demanded.

He smirked at being able to get a reaction out of her. "What has the crystal done to you," he asked flatly. "You are, not yourself."

Aera laughed mockingly. Ardyn tensed. He had never heard Aera laugh at his expense before—they had only laughed together at the same things. To hear it now, like this, was painful. It was as though he had never known her, or that the woman he loved was actually a heartless jade underneath all the beautiful, tender, pure feathers. He stopped himself—it still could be the crystal's doing.

"And how do you know my true self," she returned, voice harsh and brittle. "All you ever saw of me was the embodiment of purity, light and hope! You never saw me as a woman!"

"I adored you," Ardyn snapped back, his mask momentarily slipping. "Why do you think I asked you to marry me?"

"Don't try to make it out like it was love," Aera replied coldly. "It was an arranged marriage, nothing more. You were the elder brother of the Lucis Caelum clan. I was the Messenger of the Gods. It was only natural that we marry to unite the houses."

Ardyn felt like he'd been kicked in the gut. Was this the crystal manipulating facts, or was this the truth?

"I proposed out of love. Did you accept out of duty," Ardyn asked sharply.

"Don't act so surprised," Aera returned mockingly. "I knew it was my duty. I made the best of it."

"Is that why you allowed me to take liberties before marriage as well," he replied bitingly. "You should have gone on stage—with how passionately you responded to me, I never would have guessed it was just fulfilling your duty."

Aera hissed in rage and looked ready to slap him, or lunge. He remembered she knew how to wield a trident. Would she seek to use it on him?

"Enough of this," he said with a resigned sigh. "As much as I would have wished to vanquish my brother, and to see you again, despite the fact you evidently don't care for me as much as I thought, you know I'm here for the crystal. Now either remove yourself from my path, or I will remove you," he concluded, voice low, deadly.

Aera did not move. "The crystal is infallible. It gave you the power to vanquish darkness. It made you and Somnus kings. I will not let you destroy it," she replied as though she had explained this to him a thousand times already.

"The way I remember it, it didn't like co-rulers. It said the throne seats only one. And that one was supposed to be me," Ardyn replied.

"It, wasn't," Aera replied almost hesitantly.

"What do you mean," Ardyn countered, with a sinking feeling.

"The crystal and the Six make our destinies," Aera stated. "I was to be their messenger, Somnus was to be the Founder King, and you the Bringer of Darkness. Why do you think the crystal gave Somnus the powers of light, and you the powers of darkness?"

Ardyn stiffened. He remembered meeting Bahamut thirty years ago and hearing the same similar nonsense about how he was supposed to bring about darkness. It had pissed him off, but he had continued to do things his way, letting the cards fall where they would.

"You could not reach your destiny if you continued to hide from your brother," Aera continued. "I knew that, if you thought you were the Chosen King, you would come back. Just as, I knew Somnus would seek to betray you when you returned—I told him you were the Chosen King since I knew just how he would react."

"So, you set me up," Ardyn replied in appalled disbelief. This couldn't be a ruse from the crystal. Things that had happened that day two thousand years ago hadn't added up. This was going a long way to explain it. He had the sinking feeling that this was true.

"It, had to happen," Aera continued. "You had to realize your true potential as the Bringer of Darkness. And the only way for that to happen was through tragedy—your betrayal at Somnus's hands, and my death. I, knew I would die that day, whether at your hand or by your brother's. It was the final catalyst you would need. It, it was successful," she added triumphantly.

It had been at that, Ardyn thought bitterly. He had played right into her hands—or was it the crystal's or the Six's hands? He was a pawn either way, and he hated it. Still…

"You were not quite successful, my dear," he returned mockingly. "For you see, I have used the darkness to protect the world, not to destroy it. I am not the plaything of the Gods like you seem to think I am. You, on the other hand, are their little lapdog," he added scathingly.

"I will not let you destroy the crystal," Aera said flatly. "I will kill you first," she added, manifesting her trident from the ether as he was able to do to his own weapon.

If it was a fight she wanted, then he would give it to her, Ardyn decided.

"Very well, my love. Let us dance," he replied mockingly, drawing his sword and warping forward to engage her—in battle.


	79. Chapter 79: Tension Rising

**Hi Everyone! New month, new chapter. Hope you enjoy and thanks for reading. Special shout outs to new followers Guadalupe Rosas and terrythor46. Thanks for subscribing and welcome to the party!**

* * *

Lux was cold—he didn't know why. The last thing he remembered was healing Noctis. Then—nothing. He sat up sharply, shaking off the dizziness and disorentiation in his unease. He was lying on smooth, cold, black marble tiles. Strangely familiar tiles. He glanced around, and saw he was back in the throne room of the Citadel.

There was a, being, seated on the throne. While it had the shape of a man, it had no face or body. It looked to be series of interlocked black crystal facets joined together to form a person.

"So, you have awoken," the androgynous voice spoke, emanating from the throne. It was uncanny, hearing where the voice was coming from, but not seeing the lips move. Lux remembered that voice—"I expected you to betray me," sounded in his memory. Lux was face to whatever passed for face with Chaos. He (it?) had abducted him, and brought him to the throne room.

"Why did you bring me here," Lux demanded, bluster desperately hiding fear. He didn't care if it was the most cliched thing he could asked—he needed to know.

"You are, of use to me," Chaos replied. "Ardyn Lucis Caelum is coming. He seeks to destroy me, and you know I cannot have that."

It made sense now, Lux realized. He was simply a hostage. The crystal being figured Ardyn would refrain from making a move if Lux was in danger. He would seek to get Lux safely out of the way, which would buy the crystal time. Except…

"If you think Ardyn will hesitate with you here, boy, you are gravely mistaken," the being intoned.

Was he that easy to read, Lux wondered, or could this guy, thing, read his mind?

"Ardyn is not your father," it continued, implacably. "Do you really think Ardyn will hesitate at all if you are between me and him? He will simply slice right through you. He doesn't love you. Nobody on this planet loves you, boy. You have no parents to love you. You are just a clone."

Lux was taken back to his times with Ifrit. He had said similar things to keep Lux in line. It had worked then, but not now. Lux knew it for what it was. Manipulation and abuse, nothing more.

"Is this where you tell me the only thing that loves me is you and I should do your bidding," Lux replied coldly, mockingly, every inch Ardyn's son. "It won't work. Do whatever you want with me. Ardyn will destroy you, and if he doesn't Noctis and Aranea sure will. Even if I'm not here to see it, I don't really care."

Chaos was silent for a moment, digesting what Lux had just said. "Very well," it finally replied gravely. "If you feel so strongly about it, it makes things easier for me."

It rose from the throne, stalking purposefully forward towards him. Lux considered retreating, running away, but he knew he was dealing with a God. No matter how fast he warped, this thing would still be faster. Besides, he was tired of running.

He stood his ground, his amber eyes glaring at Chaos, daring it to do its worst.

Chaos reached out, black mist surging from its faceted hands, and grabbed Lux by the shoulders.

Lux gasped, the feelings he had felt when he had used the crystal to flood Galdin Quay and to summon the meteor for Gralea amplified a thousand fold. Yet, unlike the surge of power that had followed after those events, enough to overwhelm him, he felt a, leaching instead. It was as though his very life force was being drained. He tried to break away in sudden panic, but was entangled in the tendrils of darkness that Chaos had woven around him.

As if in retaliation for his attempt to escape, Chaos tightened its grip. The pain was excruciating. Lux screamed out in pain before he went limp once more, unconscious, folded into the darkness.

Chaos surveyed the unconscious boy. It felt no triumph or pity. It had taken back the powers that the boy had had—the powers that had once controlled the crystal. The destructive power that had destroyed Gralea and Galdin Quay. They were now Chaos's once more. It would need every drop it could get to fight back against Ardyn.

With the additional power it had gained, it was time to extend its domain. It extended its arms, no longer holding Lux up, letting him collapse to the floor. It could send the barrier expanding. More darkness, more chaos out there meant more power in here.

* * *

"What the hell," Gladio demanded, seeing the shimmering barrier begin to move and shift.

As he, Cor, and Holly watched, it began to expand, moving slowly towards them.

"Shit," Holly cried out. "It's getting bigger."

They ran back to the end of the bridge before looking back. The barrier was creeping forward like lava, turning what it passed into an illusion. The populace in the camp saw this too, and began to panic.

"Time to go," Cid hollered out. "Move as far back as ya'll can. This thing is still pretty slow—we can stay ahead of it yet."

"He's right," Holly followed. "It's not over yet, guys. Everyone grab a buddy and fall back."

Between the two of them, plus Talcott standing nobly beside Cid, the populace began to blindly follow the commands being given.

Cor and Gladio stared at the barrier advancing toward them.

"I'm going through it," Cor said flatly.

"What! But if we go in," Gladio began in alarm.

"At this rate, it will draw us in anyway," Cor stated. "And if we go in earlier, and make it through, we can help Noctis and maybe stop this thing before it gets much bigger. I don't know what it will do to us, but at this point it's worth a try. I'm Cor the Immortal after all," he added flippantly.

Gladio smirked at that. "And I'm the King's sworn shield. I'll go in with you."

"If you have anything to say to Holly, make it fast," Cor instructed.

Gladio looked to Holly. She was in the thick of things in the camp—ushering the populace further back, helping people up who had gotten knocked over, and generally helping Cid keep order. Gladio had to admit she was magnificent. He couldn't get to her though, he thought in despair. They didn't have that kind of time.

As though she sensed his attention, she turned towards the bridge and met his eyes.

"Holly," he yelled out. "I love you." That was all he could say. He turned, sword already drawn to meet the barrier head on. Cor followed his lead, rushing in beside him.

They gasped as the barrier engulfed them, like divers leaping into freezing cold water. Then they were through, seeing the dark chaos that Insomnia had become.

"Are you still with me over there," Cor broke in, sharply.

"Yeah. Guess you are too," Gladio replied in relief.

"Let's go find Noctis then," Cor ordered.

"Yes, sir," Gladio replied with alacrity.

* * *

"Does it look like the barrier is moving to you," Cindy asked Prompto in alarm.

He glanced sharply at it, eyes narrowed.

"Shit! Yeah, you're right," he replied. What the hell were they supposed to do now, he thought in a panic. A panic he could not afford. He was a Kingsglaive. They weren't supposed to feel fear or indecision.

He grabbed Cindy by the shoulders with a firmness and intensity that shocked her. "Run as fast as you can to the refugee camp," he ordered. "I'll be right behind you." She glanced at him intently, but complied, dashing down the bridge, her red ballcap falling off her head in the process.

Prompto glanced back at the barrier moving slowly towards him.

"Sorry, Cindy," he muttered. He had no choice now. Noctis needed help, and running from this thing wouldn't do it. His hand clenched on the butt of his pistol, grip slipping a bit due to his hands sweating in fear. He tensed as the barrier approached him, engulfing him like a shower of ice.

He was through it, seeing Insomnia in its ruined glory.

"I'm alive," he said to himself in surprise. He had no time to gloat though. He needed to find Noctis, and quickly.

* * *

Luna stood at the edge of the barrier she had made, totally ignoring the horde of dark beings beating at it. She was fully confident in the strength of her shielding. It wouldn't break if she kept her focus, or unless she wanted to break it.

"Be ready to fight guys," she ordered, then cracked the shield down the middle. The foes there rushed in, as expected, but Noctis and company were ready. They surged forward through the crack, slicing through any that were in their way.

Luna's gestures shifted, causing shields to slide perpendicular to the edges of the crack she had made.

Like Moses parting the waters, she created a tunnel along the crack, shields up on either side to keep the bulk of the horde away. She had made them a path to the Citadel. The only foes they would have to face were those along the path. However, she could only keep her shields a finite distance around her. She would have to keep pace with the party all the way along. And what would happen behind her once the distance was exceeded? She would deal with that later.

It was eerie, going through the tunnel last. While she had been confident with her fixed point shield, she was less confident with keeping up the shield as she moved. She was suddenly aware of how thin a barrier it was, and of how many beings were striking at it. They moved as though their only purpose was to get to her and destroy her, and those she loved. Their baleful eyes glared, wanting her dead. The hair on the back of her neck rose with unease as she sensed the barrier giving way behind her. This was the drawback of shielding while moving, she realized. Standing still she could make a bubble. When moving, it had to be a cone. And now there was a gap behind her to exploit.

They were not flanking her yet though, which was disturbing in itself. She knew the barrier had given way long ago, but there was nothing rushing her just yet. Why was that?

* * *

"Gladio, Cor," Prompto cried out in relief after encountering them in the city.

"Prompto," Gladio replied in surprise. "Is, Cindy here too?"

"I, had her fall back. I, lied to her. I said I would be following, but I came forward instead. Do you think she will ever forgive me," Prompto asked, with an edge of uncertainty.

"If you make it back, I think she will forgive anything," Gladio replied. "Now lets go find Noctis. The Citadel is this way."

"They must be up ahead," Cor said upon reaching the Citadel gates, and seeing the glow of the shield up ahead.

"I think you should have kept quiet," Prompto said warningly, as the remnants of the horde who had been preparing to flank Luna registered their presence, and turned as one towards the source of the voice they had heard.

Seeing a new threat closer to them than Luna, they chose to focus on that, lunging forward towards Cor.

"Let's do this," Gladio said darkly, rushing to engage.

* * *

Aera didn't give Ardyn the opportunity to strike first. She lunged, trident forward like a lance, ready to impale him. He had grim flashbacks to his time with Bahamut, when that bastard had told Ardyn he was destined for darkness. Bahamut had presented Ardyn with the vision of Aera impaling him until he complied, in order to compel his obedience.

Ardyn had been defenseless in that vision though. Not so now. His sword rose and parried her lunge, the grating sound of metal on metal as painful to hear as nails on a chalkboard. Ardyn met the parry and advanced forward, continuing to push at her weapon with a force that drove her back. He smirked, grimly satisfied that he was physically stronger than her. He attempted to swipe her weapon aside for the kill, but she didn't allow it, twisting aside with fluid grace to move out of range.

"The old you would have hesitated," Aera commented in between pants of exertion. "You, never would have attacked a woman before."

"You have no idea what I'm capable of. What I've done," Ardyn replied darkly, warping forward to finish this quickly. He saw a flash of desperation on her face as she realized she may not be able to move out the way in time. She rose her trident at the last possible moment, shielding her chest from his strike. The block was effective, yet the force of it caused her to slide backwards, her shoes skidding on the tiles with a shrill squeak.

She had given too much ground. Her skid landed her against the wall, giving her no further retreat. With one final sharp blow, Ardyn dashed the trident from her hands, where it clattered uselessly to the ground.

Ardyn's rational mind was trying to remind him that she could be a pawn of the crystal. He shouldn't make her suffer. However, to his darker side, what she had said and done to him rankled and needed to be answered for.

Ardyn smirked as Aera's face twisted in fear. The darkest part of himself reveled in that expression. She was correct to fear him. She thought he was destined for the darkness, did she. He would show her just what he had become.

"You are against the wall, my sweet," Ardyn mocked, stating the obvious. "What will you do now," he taunted further, for the moment reveling in his victory, stalking closer and closer.

Running her through was too easy, Ardyn thought darkly. If she really thought dealing with him was such a duty, he would make her earn whatever she thought she was getting in return. He pressed against her, pinning her to the wall with his body.

It was a mistake, he realized quickly, as the feelings of her pressed against him brought back other, more intimate and tender memories. Aera gasped. Did she remember as well, Ardyn wondered with a flash of heat. Without even thinking, his fingers caressed the blonde hair that nestled on her shoulder. She shivered. He was unsure if it was fear or, something else.

Ardyn's dark side, the side he had never shown her until now, was demanding that he find out. She had needs that Somnus was fulfilling? He would show her what she had been missing. All he would need to do was kiss her, touch her as he had 2000 years ago. Would she let him? Would she still see it as her duty?

Unbidden, Ardyn's kissing of Aranea (did he actually like her because she had a similar name to Aera) came to his mind. How she had rejected him out of disgust and fear. Had Aera felt the same things with him 2000 years ago? Had she feigned her responses, knowing it was expected of her, without actually feeling anything? Or had she felt doubt and fear within?

Those thoughts pained him, causing him to fall back a pace. She could be the crystal's pawn, he reminded himself. An innocent party. He may be able to run her through without compunction if she got in his way, but kissing her, touching her out of anger and as a spoil of victory would make him no better than Ifrit. He felt a flash of bitterness at himself. Ardyn, the embodiment of darkness, considered all that was evil in this world, still found certain activities to be too depraved, even for him. And it's not like anyone else would even notice or care that he had any scruples in the first place, save himself.

Perhaps if Ardyn had continued to let his dark side reign, and continued to revel in the feel of Aera against him, he would have overcome his scruples. Or perhaps the last frayed shreds of his nobility would have kept him on the "better" side of the line. Whatever he would have done was interrupted by a piercing scream.

A scream that was too high-pitched to belong to an adult. Only a child could make that sound of distress. Lux, he realized, stiffening.

Aera stiffened too, and glanced to the throne room doors in alarm. Her gaze flew back to Ardyn. "A child, is suffering," she grated out, instincts from her gentle self coming to the fore.

"I'll help you," she stated flatly, picking up her trident.

Ardyn nodded curtly, and strode towards the throne room doors.

He heard a strangled gasp from behind him. "No! Don't make me," he heard her say in agony, a split second before the trident ran him through the back.

Could her wounds hurt him, he wondered dazedly. They sure hurt like hell.

The bloody trident dropped from her nerveless fingers. Her face was chalk-white. However, he could see black mist swirling from her hands.

"I'm, sorry, Ardyn," she said brokenly. "I, don't know why I…"

Ardyn looked at the black mist again. "I rather think I know," he said gravely.

"You, must rescue that child. Yet, I, fear I will get in your way without meaning to. Please, while I, let you, kill me," she begged desperately.

Ardyn stepped back, momentarily stricken. He remembered the last time—her begging him to kill her to keep her from being corrupted. Somnus had forced his hand when he had hesitated. There was nobody else here now.

He had seen enough of what the crystal, Chaos, could do. Ardyn couldn't assume that Chaos would leave Aera alone—that she would stay out of his way. Aera knew it too, and was staring at him pleadingly.

He knew what he had to do. He rose his sword, ignoring the uncharacteristic shaking in his hands, and the ripping of his flesh in the back where Aera had stabbed him. It seemed like she _was_ capable of wounding him, he realized in surprise. But then, she had always held the power to hurt him, as she was still doing now.

"I, am, sorry, Aera," he said, voice torn from pain, and stabbed her in the chest. He attempted to make it quick and painless by stabbing her in the heart. However, his shaking hands missed the mark, stabbing her in the lung instead.

She fell to the ground, the black mist oozing from her prone body as she still breathed wheezingly. He rose to strike again out of warped mercy, but she forestalled him with a weak barely audible "no,".

Ardyn had to get to Lux. Yet, after all he had been through with Aera, he couldn't leave her like this. He knelt beside her.

"You, have done enough," she said, laboring to speak. "This, will do. Go, to the child." With a last burst of strength, she grabbed his hand. "I, am sorry. You, deserved, better from a lover than what I, could give you."

"Aera, don't," he said gently in an attempt to forestall her. She didn't listen.

"I, know there is another out there for you. You, will find her one day."

Ardyn nodded, not knowing what else to say. He knew full well there wasn't a soulmate for him out there. There was no going back once he went through the throne room doors. It would all end. He was dying, just as she was.

He kept his face gentle yet blank as Aera left the planet once more.


	80. Chapter 80: The Road to Hell

**Hi Everyone! New chapter in the hopper, ready to go. The ending is this story is now written-still being polished, so the end is near. Just not yet though. Hope you enjoy and thanks for reading.**

* * *

Noctis, Aranea, Ignis, Ravus, and Iris marched forward, with Luna bringing up the rear—her shield barrier continuing to hold firm. The courtyard where they had faced off against Ifrit in what seemed a lifetime ago had a clear path through with no opposition. They were able to make it clear to the front steps of the Citadel itself.

And no further as they saw a boyishly handsome dark-haired swordsman leaning negligently against the front doors.

Noctis's eyes narrowed as he studied the new threat. The man was, strangely familiar. Yet, he could not place him. The man smirked arrogantly in response to Noctis's regard—reminding Noctis too much of Ardyn.

"You did not honor my request," the man finally said in way of greeting. "You did not free my brother. He is still the Accursed. More so now than ever," he added accusingly.

"Your, brother," Noctis asked in confusion.

The man rolled his eyes in disgust. "Does this refresh your memory," he snapped. Noctis watched as the man's blue robe changed to a black cape—his pale flesh with angular bone structure underneath gaining a cover of thick metal armor. The man's expression became locked away, hidden by a horned helmet. Noctis remembered now.

The Mystic. This meant the man before him was Somnus Lucis Caelum. The Founder King, Ardyn's brother, and Noctis's ancestor.

"I don't wish to fight you again, Founder King," Noctis intoned.

Somnus smirked again. "So, you do have at least half a brain? Good for you! As it happens, I do not wish to fight you. However, if you will continue to assist my brother in his misguided scheme to destroy the crystal, I will be forced to kill you," he replied coldly.

"Out of the way," Aranea cut in. "You are blocking the path to my son. Noctis may hesitate in killing his relatives, but you aren't any family of mine. I have no problems kicking your ass."

"Aranea," Ignis said warningly as Somnus turned to face her.

"So, you are the one who has mothered my brother's son," he said in interest, looking her up and down assessingly in a similar fashion to how Ardyn had upon hearing that news. Aranea stood there defiantly, hands clenched around her polearm, letting him look his fill.

Ignis stepped forward between them in an attempt to shield her. "I defeated you once before, as I'm sure you remember, Somnus," he warned. Ignis's tone was cold, but his disregard for formality by calling the Founder King by his first name gave his fury and belligerence away. If the Founder King chose to be insulted by the disrespect, Ignis would be all to happy to give him satisfaction.

Somnus ignored him though, his gaze shifting to Luna. She was standing stock still, maintaining the shields as an arena again to keep the other foes out.

"I must admit I thought _she_ would be more my brother's style," Somnus commented, causing Noctis and Ravus to tense up.

"Perhaps you don't know your brother as well as you thought," Aranea spoke up tauntingly. She wasn't even going to argue that Lux existed in the most impersonal way possible between her and Ardyn. If it gave them the edge to have Somnus think the worst of her, then she would allow it.

"I did. Until _you_ got your hooks into him," Somnus sneered, and lunged at Aranea.

Aranea was shocked at this out of left field accusation, and the petty viciousness of it. However, she had been provoking him. A fight was what she wanted, and she would get it.

She parried his strike with her polearm, gritting her teeth at the exertion. She was still not 100 percent cured from Verstael's poison it seemed. She could feel her legs trying to give way as Somnus attempted to force her to her knees. She was defended by Noctis, who leaped in effortlessly to break Somnus's focus and engage him directly at the same time Ignis swept in to pull Aranea out of the way.

"I had him," Aranea snapped to her rescuer, who kept his arm around her waist in a firm, almost possessive grip.

"Kindly allow me to serve as knight errant for once," Ignis ordered tightly.

"I've given you plenty of warning, grandpa," Noctis snarked to Somnus. "You want a fight? You will fight me," he stated with princely arrogance. Noctis would no longer lean on his knights to do his fighting for him. It was time to fight, King to King.

"Everyone, go on ahead," he ordered. "I've got this."

Ignis looked ready to hesitate. Now that Aranea was safe, he knew his duty lay with his king. But then, his soon to be stepson (if he could help it) was in danger, as was his would-be betrothed, even if his betrothed resisted his protection, he concluded wryly.

"See to your family, Iggy," Noctis added. "That's an order."

That was all the encouragement Ignis needed. He swept Aranea through the doors of the Citadel with Iris hurrying right behind.

Noctis sighed in relief that his orders were obeyed. But then, where was Ravus? He got his answer when he saw Ravus lunge forward to engage Somnus as well.

"Orders don't apply to other Kings, Noct," Ravus replied dryly, nonchalantly parrying another blow from Somnus.

"You're calling me Noct now, huh," Noctis replied archly, dashing around Somnus's side in an attempt to bypass his guard.

"Well, you _are_ basically part of my family now, so I concede formalities should be dropped," Ravus returned, as snooty as ever, but with a gleam of amusement in his eye.

"Does that mean I can call you an asshole then," Gladio cut in, announcing his presence in the most dramatic way he could think of. "After all, we _are_ family. I mean, we'd better be the way you've been treatin' my sister." He punctuated his comments by meeting Somnus's greatsword with his own.

"Focus on the foe, please," Cor directed with mock seriousness, making his way into the battle as well.

Luna smiled ruefully at the crack in her shield that Gladio had made, and was just about to close the shield again when Prompto dashed through. "Hey there," was his greeting as he began shooting through the crack at the much-reduced horde.

Noctis glanced at his reinforcements and made some decisions accordingly.

"Luna. Go on up. They may need healers. We're good down here."

"But, if I do, the shields are gone," she protested.

"We got most of 'em," Cor said.

"And I've got the rest," Prompto added brightly. "Go on up, girlfriend," he ordered good-naturedly.

"If you guys get hurt," Luna began warningly, relaxing her hold on the shield, causing it to shatter like glass.

The remaining horde was ready, attempting to sweep in to engage. Prompto was all over it, picking off the stragglers before they could even get close.

"Trust me, darling," Noctis ordered with an arrogant smirk that made Luna want to simultaneously slap and kiss him for.

There would be time for that later. Or had better be, she told herself, rushing through the Citadel doors to offer what assistance she could.

"Bold of you, to divide your forces," Somnus stated, launching into a spin attack that forced everyone remaining to retreat out of range.

"I don't need an army to deal with you," Noctis returned, warping forward, dodging Somnus's slashing blade.

"You still need _us_ though," Ravus commented, stealing Noctis's thunder, but keeping Somnus on his toes all the same by attempting to launch another attack.

"Why are you making us do this," Cor demanded. "Noctis is your descendant!"

"You wish to assist my brother. And that I cannot allow," Somnus replied. "He is just as misguided as he was two thousand years ago, thinking that fighting darkness with darkness will save the world! And you seek to abet him in this madness."

"The way I see it," Gladio piped up, striking again just to be blocked once more. "The crystal _is_ darkness. It doesn't matter what we use as long as we destroy it."

"At what cost," Somnus countered, striking at the same time and forcing them back. "Ardyn thought absorbing daemons into himself would save the afflicted. But look what it did to him! He singlehandedly continued the Starscourge himself! It was a short term fix to a long term problem that he only made worse!"

"And what was your 'magic fix,'" Cor asked calmly, warily advancing once more. "It certainly seems that whatever you did didn't work either."

"Darkness cannot be healed," Somnus lectured. "Those afflicted with it must be destroyed. And only the light can do that. _That_ is what I told that brother of mine years ago, yet he did not listen. Just as you are not listening now. I will _make_ you listen," Somnus concluded, charging up for what looked to be a powerful attack.

The others dashed out of range but Noctis didn't waste his time. He had the impression that when Somnus released the energy he was hoarding, it would hit them regardless of how far away they were. And Noctis would not run from this son of a bitch after what he had just said.

"Ah, I get it," Noctis countered scathingly, saving up some energy of his own to warp. "You _are_ your brother's twin. Both of you think that genocide is justified for the greater good."

"The afflicted are no longer people," Somnus replied, desperate to explain his position, and momentarily staying his hand. "And my duty is to my people. And the crystal protects my, our people, Noctis."

Noctis listened to the flat tones—another person in the crystal's thrall. However, this was not a man possessed by the crystal. This was a man who had been on the crystal's side all along. A wannabe king so clueless about what to do about the Starscouge, and so powerless to help his people that he clung to the crystal as a crutch, a symbol to keep the people behind him. Somnus had no notion what the crystal was, except that it was a source of power he could rally people behind.

Was Noctis really that different, he wondered. He had been confronted with the rise of darkness as well. The only thing he had done was cling to Luna, the one who would guide him on his path. He had never questioned why, or if there another way. He had never thought to ask what the consequences were—had never noticed that Luna's path was slowly killing her, and had never realized it was too heavy a burden for one as young as her to carry. He had sent her flippant journal messages like, "still rolling along", as he reached the next phase of his journey, having no clue what Luna was facing.

He had been busy joy-riding around Lucis, doing random favors for people, fishing, hanging out with his friends, while Luna had been doing all the work. He didn't step up to the plate until after Luna had died. If he had risen to the occasion earlier, could he have saved her? Could their paths have been different? He had been given another chance to be sure. However, that didn't mitigate how poorly the first time had gone.

Yet, Noctis didn't judge. He never did. He knew that everyone had flaws. He had freely admitted to Gladio when he had accosted him about not acting like a King, that he was just a man above it all. And Noctis believed it. Everyone, whether king or subject, was a person. People afflicted by the Starscourge were people. And as such, deserved to be given a choice. Not just killed outright. What kind of king—what kind of man, was Somnus that he could so freely and so callously make that decision?

"Tell that to those who are attacked by daemons," Noctis finally replied. "Some suffer ages until they succumb. Are you telling me that they, fully cognizant of the horrors they are enduring and what is yet to come for them, are not people?"

"Once they are tainted by the darkness, they are no longer fit to survive," Somnus replied defensively. "My own brother was too tainted to rule by my side. Even the crystal rejected him! If it is the source of all evil as you say, why would it do that?"

Somnus did have a point, although Noctis didn't want to admit it. However, he was finding that the nature of truth here was shady at best. He didn't have all the answers. He had seen enough of the crystal though, and wanted it gone.

"I get it," Noctis replied calmly. "You were dealt a bad hand. However, that is no reason to cling so blindly to the crystal and its will. Part of being King is being able to make decisions for yourself and not hide behind what you perceive is protecting you."

"How dare you lecture me about how to be a king," Somnus gasped out in offence. "I am the Founder King. I am your ancestor."

"Ardyn is my distant uncle and also an ancestor as it turns out," Noctis returned. "And, weirdly enough, I agree with his approach to all of this," Noctis returned, giving Ravus a 'be ready' nod.

"You would take _his_ side in this," Somnus demanded in disbelief. "You are just as tainted as he is! I will send you all to the void!" His sword, replete with light energy, drove into the ground, slicing the concrete. The light energy swept down the spreading crack, ready to fry them all.

Noctis and Ravus were prepared. Noctis warped at the same time Ravus lunged. Somnus was momentarily thrown off by two simultaneous attacks. His sword's energy was momentarily depleted by the ground strike. However, he rallied quickly, raising his sword for another spin attack. Ravus grunted as the sword struck his, forcing him into a grinding parry that Somnus could not disengage from.

Noctis warped nimbly around the spinning blade to stab Somnus right where his helmet met his breastplate. There was a gap in the armor there, just as Noctis suspected. He drove the blade clean through.

"As a matter of fact, I _do_ take Ardyn's side here," Noctis replied, sliding the blade from Somnus's clavicle.

Somnus gasped in surprise at the blow and lost control of his blade for just one moment. A moment Ravus was ready for, pushing past it to stab him in the side where the two sides of the breastplate hooked together.

Somnus dropped to his knees, stunned. Like a large beast being felled by a team of hunters, Gladio and Cor dashed in, skirting the crack in the ground he had left, to find gaps in the armor and strike. The accumulated blows served their purpose. Somnus fell backwards to the ground, black mist oozing from his various wounds.

"The crystal is the Lucis Caelum birthright, Noctis," Somnus said in a fading voice. "It protects us all. You, cannot destroy it. The, cost of doing so is too high."

"It cannot protect. It only destroys," Noctis said flatly. "Now, close your eyes, forevermore," he added gently, almost sorrowfully upon seeing how much pain Somnus was in.

Somnus gave up with a despairing sigh, fading away into nothingness.

"Uh, what did he mean about the price being too high," Prompto asked, breaking the hollow victory silence.

"Shouldn't you be dealing with the other threats," Ravus demanded.

"See for yourself," Prompto replied, preening. He had taken care of every single one of them.

"I don't know," Noctis returned, answering Prompto's question gravely, causing Prompto's preening to deflate like a balloon. "We have no choice but to try."

"Do you really take Ardyn's side," Gladio asked his king in disbelief.

"More so than Somnus's," Noctis replied. "However, to be honest, I think they are both wrong here. But, given the Starscourge, I am not sure what the right answer is either. Maybe I'm just like Somnus. In way over my head, using destruction of the crystal as a crutch," he added, momentarily defeated.

"You can soul search that with Luna later if you want," Cor replied bracingly. "For now, dealing with the crystal sounds like a good idea to me."

The last of the party made their way forward into the Citadel.

* * *

Ardyn felt every one of his two thousand years as he entered the throne room. Stabbing Aera had been the most traumatic experience of his life, and he had just had to do it again. He refused to feel guilt. It had had to be done this time. If he chose to feel guilty about this, it would let every other regret in his life in, and it would break him.

He focused on the pain in his back where Aera had struck him. It was amazing that she could, but then, she had always been his weakness. Physical pain was easier to deal with than emotional pain. He let that pain drive him, almost reveling in the feel of the blood coldly oozing down his back.

He took in the scene before him as though it were staged just for him. He knew it was too much to expect that the crystal would just be sitting out, right for the taking. And he was correct.

Chaos was seated on the throne, Lux lay at his feet. Ardyn could see the boy's chest rising and falling slightly, indicating he was still alive but unconscious. That was all Ardyn could glean. He ignored Lux for the moment, focusing on Chaos instead.

Chaos's form was no longer the black crystal-faceted being Lux had experienced. Those interlocking crystals were still there. However, they were taking on a more human flesh-like color and texture. The face was taking on human features. Its jaw was chiseled, stereotypically masculine. Yet its nose and lips were more delicate, feminine. Its eyes were genderless, ageless, endlessly black. Ardyn could not even discern the pupils from the irises. Meeting its gaze was like staring into an abyss. An abyss that would lead you to oblivion.

The soulless gaze sized Ardyn up, noting the blood dripping onto the floor behind him, how strained Ardyn looked. Ardyn was a man on the edge of darkness, just as Chaos wanted.

"You finally realize it, don't you," Chaos began.

Ardyn sighed. "Is this where you attempt to break me with your warped notions of the truth? Did you really think facing off against Aera or my brother again would give me pause? Did you really think seeing the boy unconscious at your feet would move me? I am here to destroy you. I hope you 'finally realize' _that_ ," Ardyn taunted back.

"And that is precisely why I chose you two thousand years ago," Chaos returned. "For all your wishes to heal the world, all you wanted was for darkness to coexist with light. You didn't care who was hurt along the way, as you don't now. You have not changed at all. You are the essence of darkness—the very embodiment of it. You are destined to bring darkness to the world, just as Bahamut and Aera have told you. Aera told you the truth, you know. She never loved you."

"Oh! Woe as me," Ardyn countered with a theatrical lament. "And now I suppose I am supposed to respond in defensive denial that you are wrong. I happen to have figured that part out by now."

"Of course you did," Chaos returned, voice infused with respect. "How do you feel having gone full circle?"

"I had to, stab Aera again, thanks to you," Ardyn returned bitingly.

"Oh, I didn't mean that. I meant everything. Your whole life has been a mobius strip. You do something out of good intentions and end up making everything worse, everything darker. You try to heal your lover just to corrupt her. You try to save the world from Ifrit, but you remove light and hope from the world in the process. You return from death to save your son, just to find the world worse off now than when you were imprisoned. Face it, Ardyn, all you can bring about is darkness. That is your destiny. You cannot fight it no matter how hard you try."

For once Ardyn had no reply. Everything Chaos had said held an edge of truth. The saying, 'the road to hell is paved with good intentions', echoed in his mind. All of his intentions had been good, in spirit anyway. Yet how far he was willing to go to reach those "good" goals had caused so much suffering. Aera, Regis, everyone he had touched in Gralea, Luna, Noctis, the list went on. The guilt he had fought to keep at bay oozed in like a poison, leaving him momentarily frozen.

"Do you really think destroying me will be any different," Chaos asked, emotionlessly rubbing salt in the wound. "All you will do is make things worse."

"So, what would you have me do," Ardyn asked, voice heavy with resigned despair. "Turn about, walk away?"

"No. You are the embodiment of darkness. More so than I can ever be. I see now that darkness and destruction together cannot exist. The light will always seek to destroy it. However, somebody who has good intentions and is willing to use darkness for those intentions is much more difficult to destroy. There will always be some who believe that path is correct and support it. In that sense, darkness is indeed eternal."

"You must embrace that darkness, Ardyn Lucis Caelum. You must accept it fully. Take my powers into yourself. Become Ardyn Lucis Chaos—God of Darkness."

"Don't even think about it, Ardyn," Ignis demanded behind him, desperation in his tone.

"Give Lux back, you bastard," Aranea yelled out, leaping forward to grab Lux or attack Chaos. Her intentions were uncertain, but she did not achieve either. Chaos lashed out, shadowy tendrils snaking from its hands. Aranea had no way of dodging or avoiding. The tendrils grabbed her and threw her against the wall with a thud that made everyone wince.

"Aranea," Ignis cried out, sprinting to grab her as she slid bonelessly to the floor, unconscious or worse.

"See, Ardyn," Chaos continued. "Even now your own allies do not trust you. They are concerned you will succumb to the darkness. Everyone knows what you are Ardyn. Accept it. All you need to do is offer me a small sacrifice to prove your willingness and loyalty, and all I am will be yours," Chaos concluded smoothly, almost seductively.

"It will be too much! Don't," Iris called out in alarm.

"What must I do," Ardyn asked, resigned, ignoring her.

"You must destroy what is closest to you," Chaos intoned. "You must kill your offspring. Slay Lux, and you shall become a God."

Ardyn glanced back to Aranea who still lay unresponsive on the ground. Ignis was cradling her in his arms, begging her to wake up. Ardyn turned to Iris who was watching him, for now mercifully silent, but her fears of him weakening were clear in her gaze. He glanced to Lux. His partial clone. His offspring, his son, currently defenseless on the floor.

Chaos was right, he realized. Nobody trusted him. And they were right not to. Everything Ardyn touched, he destroyed. No matter what he did, it always came back to the same thing. He finally realized that nothing he did mattered. Darkness surrounded him regardless of which way he turned.

Ardyn turned to Luna who was giving every indication she was ready to run to Aranea's assistance but didn't want to lose sight of him. Not even the Oracle trusted him. She saw him for what he really was. Had Aera as well? Was that why she had in the end not cared for him?

Luna met his gaze. He mouthed words to her without making a sound. It's not like what he said mattered anyway.

Iris's gaze flew from one to the other, trying to figure out what he was saying, but by then Ardyn had turned around, sword drawn, and quickly and effortlessly impaled Lux in the heart in a fatal blow.

Ardyn didn't look at what he had done. He ignored the cries of anger and horror. He heard the shots as Iris shot him in the back, but did not feel them connect. Just as he did not feel Ignis's relentless blows, or the flash of air as Luna dashed to Lux to see what she could do. Could she do anything with a dead body, Ardyn thought with detached interest. It didn't matter though. Nothing mattered. He had fought destiny and lost. What was left?

He glared at Chaos. "Is that it," he asked as though it had been a trifling thing to request in the first place.

Chaos smirked in satisfaction—the only expression it had ever shown. Its form broke down into a shadowy mass that slid into Ardyn. He dropped to his knees at the sudden influx of power. He felt the wound Aera had inflicted disappear. He felt more powerful than he ever had—even when he had corrupted everyone he could get his hands on in Gralea. He was almost drunk with it—there was nothing like raw power to make all other pain go away.

He may not have destroyed the crystal, but he had absorbed it. He had absorbed the essence of darkness just as he had done two thousand years ago with the Starscourge. The cycle repeated. He was just following his destiny.

* * *

 **Sorry to cut it off here, but I am trying to keep the chapters from being too long. Did Ardyn just show his hand as a true villain? Does he have another agenda? Is Lux ok? Hope you stay tuned to find out!**


	81. Chapter 81: Life and Death

**Hi Everyone! The end is near (but not just yet). Probably a chapter or two left after this at this point. I didn't want to leave anyone hanging since last chapter, so for anyone waiting in agonized suspense (if any haha), this next section is for you. Thanks for reading as always.**

* * *

"What the fuck did you do, Ardyn," Noctis demanded upon arriving to the scene, and taking in what was before him. Lux lay bleeding and unmoving on the ground, head resting in Luna's lap. Aranea, head bleeding, was lying on the floor but steadily reviving it seemed. Iris was shooting point blank at Ardyn, launching curses at him that even made Ravus blush, and Ignis was clutching Aranea's polearm, ready to launch at Ardyn as well.

Cor, Ravus, Prompto, and Gladio were ready to follow suit. Even the room itself was embodying the chaos that had ensued. The ceiling of the throne room was gone, replaced with a starless night sky. The walls were peeling down to reveal a black abyss behind. It was as though the Citadel had a stage set that was rotting away to show the bare plaster and wood beneath. The illusion was disappearing, leaving pure darkness in its wake.

The only one eerily calm amid all of the pandemonium was Ardyn. He was staring intently at Luna, his amber gaze burning into hers. "Are you an Oracle or not? Can you save him," he demanded, voice clipped, cold.

"Save him," echoed in Luna's mind. So, she had interpreted his mouthed words correctly. She didn't want to get into why he had struck at his own son. She could only focus on what he was demanding of her, and it made her sick to think about it.

It was whispered that the strongest Oracles had the power to resurrect the recently deceased, but Luna had never attempted it. It was a form of time magic—a class of spell that Luna had never been comfortable with. Even the more mundane spells in this class (haste and slow) were difficult for her to master. And the resurrection spell full on reversed time to revert the patient's ending of their life timeline to a previous state.

If done properly, it gave the patient a second chance at life. If the same forces that had ended their life were out of play, then there was no chance of the same timeline end occurring immediately after resurrection. It worked for accidents or fatal blows in battle—the types of death that were preventable. It didn't work for illness or cumulative effects of things that built up over time. It was designed for battle.

And for the caster—the timeline was accelerated. For each moment that they gave back to the patient, the caster lost that time on their own lifespan ten fold. Some casters had died in the attempt to revive someone.

The risk didn't dissuade Luna from using it. If it killed her but saved the patient, she did not mind. It was merely that she was too weak. If she attempted, the patient would still be dead as well as her, so it was not worth the sacrifice.

There were also horrific risks to other people in the area at the time of the casting. Luna was still haunted by the story her mother had told her about the one and only time she had used it.

It had been in a field hospital setting during one of the many skirmishes between the Empire and Lucis. There had been a boy caught in the crossfire and killed. The senselessness of it and the grief of the parents had been too much for Luna's mother Sylva to take. She had undertaken the spell with the child's parents at her side.

Sylva had revived the child, but the timeline had affected everyone around him. In the end, Sylva had aged ten years in three minutes, and the child's parents's timelines had reverted too far, turning them into infants. Sylva had found them a good home within Tenebrae, not as a family of parents and children, but as a family of three siblings. They had died with her mother—casualties of the Empire's attack on Tenebrae that had broken up Noctis's convalescence.

Why on the Gods's green Eos did Ardyn assume Luna knew how to use this spell, and use it successfully? She cursed him for forcing her hand. But it wasn't like she wasn't going to try.

"Everyone, out," she demanded, voice hard. Even Ignis, who was staring intently at Aranea as she gingerly rose from the floor, turned Luna's way sharply in surprise.

"You aren't going to use, _that,_ are you, sister," Ravus demanded in fear, momentarily staying his sword arm.

How could she not? Aranea's and Ignis's agonized looks at Lux, and Ardyn's demand-filled glance gave her no quarter.

"She is right. We must fall back," Ravus ordered everyone.

"I will not leave my son," Aranea spat out decisively, but with an edge of frail weakness. Whether from her injury or at what had happened to Lux it was difficult to determine.

"Trust in Luna," Ignis ordered firmly.

Aranea opened her mouth to argue, just to be interrupted by Ardyn. "I can knock you unconscious again so Ignis can drag you out," he said, voice taut with anger.

"You caused this, you son of a bitch," Aranea started, just to be cut off by Noctis.

"You will have to get through me, first," he added to Ardyn, voice just as hard.

Luna had had enough. "Get out," she shrilled—the agonized sound of her voice echoing against the decaying walls of the throne room.

Her plea stopped everyone cold. Nobody argued—they fell back to the preceding anteroom.

"Call me if he, or you, need me," Aranea ordered brokenly before closing the doors of the throne room.

Ravus hesitated, preparing to offer his services as amplifier. She didn't need him to return to infancy. She would do this herself or die trying.

"Go with Iris," she ordered. He rapidly obeyed.

She was left alone with Lux, and Noctis and Ardyn who had refused to retreat.

"I thought I told you to-" she began.

"I'm not leaving you alone with your burden this time," Noctis cut in. "Whatever happens, it is my turn to weather it."

Ardyn said nothing, merely leaning against the night sky wall, arms folded, prepared to watch the show.

Luna had seen Chaos enter Ardyn. She knew he had all of the powers of darkness at his disposal. What her powers of time and light would do to him, she was unclear on, but she had given them plenty of warning. She could not hold back anymore, or she would not be able to save Lux at all.

She stood up beside Lux, arms outstretched, and began dancing. It was nothing like the fluid grace she had used for the shields. This set of movements was jerky, awkward, as though she had no sense of rhythm at all, or had never danced in her life. Her arms moved like clock hands, the right arm moving more slowly than the left, like how the hour hand behaved on a resetting clock.

The decaying walls of the throne room began crumbling faster. Noctis glanced sharply as an entire pillar collapsed. Luna's spell was causing the illusion to spread, not return to what had been. It was obvious that the Citadel itself was unnatural, untouched by traditional time.

Noctis himself felt no different. He paid attention to every twinge, every muscle ache in his body, trying not to convince himself that he was feeling an effect from her spell.

Ardyn felt his back split once more—Aera's wound reopening. He wanted to laugh in triumph.

"You must stop her," Chaos echoed in his mind. "If she continues this, I, we, will…"

"I sacrificed my son," Ardyn told him in his mind. "I have no control over what other people do with him."

"You can possess her, make her stop," Chaos ordered, attempting to tighten its grip on Ardyn's soul.

"Oh, just like what you did to Aera," Ardyn returned mockingly. "You wanted someone whose road to hell is paved with good intentions? This is how one such as he handles it," Ardyn added, gritting his teeth as he felt his remaining wound rip open, the cold splash of blood easily seeping through his layers of clothing.

Luna's spell seemed to be weakening him. Would it be enough to make him mortal, he wondered. It certainly seemed like it was, which was all he had hoped for.

"No, this isn't right," Chaos spat out. "This, isn't supposed to happen."

With a gasp, Luna collapsed to her knees at the same time Lux inhaled sharply, life restored to him.

Noctis was there to clutch Luna in his arms. "Luna, are you, all right?"

She was chalk-white, shivering as though she would never stop. She stared down at the reviving Lux. She could look a hundred years old herself. She could die in five seconds. It didn't matter. She had saved a young life.

Noctis wouldn't let her. He was touching her frantically, looking for wounds, any tell-tale sign of damage. His hand finally covered her racing heart, feeling the pulse there.

"It, would be in my face," she said. "Are there, wrinkles?"

Noctis smirked ruefully. "I never thought to hear you worried about your looks, Luna," he commented wryly.

"That's not it at all," Luna blustered out defensively. "It's just that, this spell ages you."

"You will always be beautiful to me even if you look a hundred years old," Noctis returned hoarsely.

It was flattering and romantic, Luna supposed, but it didn't really help right now.

"Oh for pity's sake, loverboy," Ardyn snapped, voice taut with pain. "You look fine, Luna. You do have a streak of gray hair though."

Noctis found it, the streak of moonlight white threading through her hair. He caressed it as though it were a fine fabric. Luna was suddenly aware of Noctis's hand in her hair, his other hand still over her heart, her breast actually. His breath wafting over hers. Their eyes met.

Ardyn had seen enough. His legs gave out, no longer able to support him, and he slid to the ground, closing his eyes.

That broke the love birds apart and returned them to reality. Lux was staring up at them, trying to figure out what had happened. Noctis hauled Lux to his feet and nudged him towards Luna. "Go to the others," he ordered.

Lux glanced sharply to Ardyn, taking in how pale and drawn he looked. "Ardyn," he asked, voice still weak.

"Listen to Noct," Ardyn said, his firm tones contradicting how frail he looked, huddled against the wall, drained and exhausted.

Luna gave him an uncertain look, then escorted Lux away.

Noctis knelt beside Ardyn, noting the blood on his clothing.

"Once Luna rests a bit, she can help, if you can hold on," Noctis stated.

Ardyn shook his head. "When I die, the crystal dies with me," he said weakly, ignoring the shrill "no" echoing in his mind.

"But, I was supposed be the one to die," Noctis replied in confusion. "I was to use the powers of the Six to destroy it."

Ardyn chuckled. "Are you complaining? I can still kill you if you'd like, but I don't think it would help much."

Noctis ignored his quip. "Why did you do it? Why did you kill Lux, hurt Aranea?"

Ardyn sighed. "For the record, Chaos hurt Aranea before. I only, killed Lux. It was the only way to get Chaos to give me all of its powers. It was the ultimate sacrifice it required. And I, hoped that Luna would be able to undo what I did. It was the only way I could win."

Noctis opened his mouth to contradict him, only to subside. He couldn't lecture him about there being another way. He had also made a sacrifice to return light, only for it to be largely useless. The only difference was he was only willing to sacrifice himself, not others. Was that enough of a difference, he wondered.

"But, why absorb its powers at all," Noctis asked, trying to make sense of Ardyn's craziness once and for all.

Ardyn smiled weakly, fully willing to explain his actions this time. "Even now you struggle to see many moves ahead. You will need to work on that to be a good king, Noct. The crystal cannot be destroyed, unless maybe you channel the power of the Six and the powers of light and kill yourself and all that fun. I for one have no wish to rely on the powers of the Six anymore. And you are of more use alive than dead, believe it or not.

I could not destroy the crystal's power, but I could force it to transfer its power. It loves to bequeath its power to others, as we saw with Ifrit and in the little bits it gave me. I noticed when it transferred itself to Ifrit, it corrupted him, turned him feral. As it would do to anyone else. The only way I could destroy Chaos was to control all of its powers myself. Not just a subset of the powers, but all of them. I had to become the vessel. Then I could will it to destroy itself. And when a God slays a God, it does not come back."

"But, why you? What made you think you wouldn't turn feral and—" Noctis asked.

"And become drunk with power, turn on you all, and ravage the world," Ardyn returned derisively. "It is a path I know full well. I have walked the path of blood and darkness for ages. Despite it all, I never lost sight of what I really wanted. Vengeance, first against my brother, then Ifrit, then the crystal. I trusted that would sustain me, keep me from becoming a pawn to Chaos's powers once they were fully given. I assumed I would not be turned feral by it like anyone else would be. And when you want something done right, you do it yourself. I was destined for darkness—I have heard _that_ ad nauseum. I knew that would make Chaos give me everything it had.

I, had thought Aera would be the sacrifice when I saw her again. I, did not expect it to be Lux, but I took a chance on Luna. Given all she's been through she should be the strongest Oracle the world has ever known. Resurrection should be easy for her. And as usual she did not disappoint. She was able to undo my, transgression, as I assumed she could. I believe I backed the right horse when I proposed the marriage between you two so long ago," Ardyn added smugly. "The Nox Fleuret and Lucis Caelum houses need to be united at last."

"That's not why I accepted that shady offer," Noctis countered. "If I hadn't wanted her at all, dad and I would have kicked you out ass first from the Citadel and kept the war going indefinitely. Luna and I had been pen pals since we were children. Of course it took time for it to evolve into actual love, and it was a long distance relationship, but I was set to see her again and propose to her myself even before your little proposition."

"So, I actually played into your hands with my little stunt? How inconvenient," Ardyn replied ruefully. "But I suppose it's good to know that we are in agreement as to who the best queen for Lucis is."

"I don't give a shit about that! I love her. I would marry her even if she were a beach floozy at Galdin Quay," Noctis returned.

Ardyn laughed, only to wince as the blood pumped harder from his back. "Imagine what your dear father would have said if I had brought one of them forward instead of Luna? All out war over a woman? How cliché. I must ask, are you sure she feels for you? From what I know of that type, they can hide their true feelings pretty deep," he concluded with a touch of wistfulness in his tone.

"None of your concern, old man," Noctis replied with tongue in cheek mockery. "I will spend the rest of my life figuring her out if I have to."

"Forgive me, boy. I merely thought to share my wealth of experience with you, but I can see I'm not needed." Ardyn shook his head, as though returning to reality from a tangent. "If I can make a request of you, please, tell Aranea it was infatuation, nothing more," he asked, a note of humbleness in his tone.

Noctis blinked. "You can tell her that yourself. We will find a way to get Chaos out of you. And I believe you owe Lux an apology as well."

Ardyn sighed at Noctis's naivete. "Everything I have done has been for Lux," Ardyn stated with conviction. "Even if he doesn't ever realize it."

And if it was up to Ardyn, Lux never would. There was no way out of this, and Ardyn knew it. Before he could give in to any misguided hope, or before Noctis or Chaos could stop him, he manifested a dagger, took a deep shuddering breath, and sliced his jugular. Ardyn heard the satisfying scream of anguish from Chaos as its existence, always irrevocably tied to his, ended, alongside his.


	82. Chapter 82: Wandering Soul

**Greetings, Everyone! Here is (probably) the second to last chapter of this story. This piece is a little short, but the ending sections belongs together, so I will hold that a bit longer. We are in the home stretch now! Hope you enjoy, and thanks for reading.**

* * *

Noctis stared down at Ardyn's body, momentarily stunned. He reached down to apply pressure to Ardyn's throat wound, a desparate attempt to staunch the blood flow, even though he knew it was useless. It was a dead body that lay beside him—a dead human body. Had Luna's spell done this? Made him human in the end? Noctis didn't know.

He was used to bodies fading away—daemons always did, and Gods, well, they died in weird ways anyway. The only carnage-filled deaths he had seen were when he had felled beasts on the hunt. And Ardyn deserved better than that.

How did Noctis feel? How should he feel, he wondered. Ardyn has been his enemy, as well as ally. Noctis had crossed swords with him, and seen how he handled himself in battle. Hell, Noctis had even met the man's brother and taken Ardyn's side against him. Noctis knew Ardyn well, given how well somebody _could_ get to know someone as mysterious as Ardyn. Noctis had lost a comrade this day, and had in the end been powerless to prevent it.

"Noct, what is going-," Ignis broke in, just to subside as he took in the scene as well. He rushed forward, with the others close behind.

Luna reached the scene next, healer's instincts already kicking in to figure out how she could help. Her shoulders slumped, defeated when she saw Ardyn's condition. "I can't resurrect him," she told Noctis in despair. "I'm too drained, and by the time I have regenerated my mana, it will be too late."

"He wouldn't want you to," Noctis finally said. "This, was his way of defeating Chaos forever." He elaborated by telling them what Ardyn had told him.

"Is this what he meant by his blaze of glory," Aranea spat out. "He knew it would come to this all along, and he didn't tell us? "You can't be dead, you son of a bitch," she snapped down to Ardyn's body angrily. "I still have to kick your ass for what you did to Lux!"

She had promised Ardyn she would be there for him at the end, but he had made her break her promise, and she hated him for it. She clung to that anger and hatred as a lifeline—once it was gone, she knew she would grieve. And it was bullshit. She didn't love him—and he was just 'infatuated' with her from what Noctis had said. Ardyn had attacked and very nearly killed her, their, son for goodness sake. She had no reason to feel anything but relief that he was gone, she told herself desperately. Yet, she could feel the gnawing of pain already.

Ignis understood and stood stoicly by her side. "I am here if you need me," was all he said. And she knew he would be. He was the man she loved after all.

They tried to keep Lux away, but he had see for himself. He stared down at the man whom he was partially cloned from. His father, even though at times he hadn't wanted to admit it.

Lux had to focus on the fact that Ardyn had just killed him, requiring Luna to resurrect him. If Lux just thought that, he would be relieved that Ardyn was gone..or so he told himself. His other memories of Ardyn were slipping in. The offhand advice Ardyn had given him, the rare flashes of understanding. Ardyn had understood him perhaps better than anyone else. And now he was gone. Lux couldn't see very well—everything was blurry. He blinked and the tears blurring his vision spilled over. He started as he felt a warm arm go around his shoulders. "It's ok, Lux," Iris told him, and led him away.

"We shouldn't just leave him here," Prompto said hesitantly.

"I know," Noctis replied, momentarily at a loss of what to do.

"If I may, Your Highness," Cor spoke up. "The family shrine is a block away. Other Lucis Caelums have been buried in the cemetery there."

"It, would be a good place for him, Noct." Ignis added gently. "If you are willing to accept him as family."

Noctis had, long ago—you didn't have to love every member of your family, and would always have black sheep. But you couldn't forsake them at the end.

"I agree," Noctis finally said. "Can you all help me carry him," he asked hesitantly. There was not a dissenter in the group.

Ardyn had been forsaken in his own time, by his lover, by his brother, by his people. He had not given modern society much cause to like him for that matter. He no doubt figured his death would be a relief, if not a cause of celebration, for all concerned. There would be no reason for anyone to mourn him. He was wrong. Despite himself, he had become a comrade, part of a family. He was leaving mourners behind.

* * *

Ardyn was being swept away through oblivion. He couldn't see, hear, or sense anything, except that he was moving way too quickly. And there was nothing to grab on to. It was like he was free falling, except there was no up or down. No direction except forward. Had he faced this the last time, when Noctis had slain him? He could not remember. Was he supposed to? Should he be afraid, relieved? Ardyn felt nothing except a detached curiosity. This was a new experience for him, and he should observe it. It wasn't like he had a choice though—there was nothing else for him to do but ride the wave.

He squinted as he saw a change ahead of him—instead of a featureless void, he saw a bright light branching off to the right, and an even darker void (he had not thought such a shade of black was possible) branching to the left. He saw flashes, like wisps of stars, falling into each. He was darkness incarnate. He fixed his glance on the even darker void. It didn't take a genius to figure out that that was where he was going. He shut his eyes, waiting for it.

Only to jerk to alertness as he felt his body, soul, whatever shell was left of him, slam into something. Leave it to him to find the one bit of obstruction in empty space, he thought wryly. He tensed as he felt his body begin to freefall. It was as though he were in an elevator that had suddenly had its cables cut. He was already dead, he reminded himself on the edge of panic. He couldn't die again. That didn't keep him from screaming...

He lost track of how long, or far, he had fallen, until he landed face-down on a crystal floor, with a force that knocked the wind out of him. He gasped a moment until he collected himself, then sat up gingerly to look around.

"So, we meet again, Ardyn Lucis Caelum," a voice intoned ahead of him.

Ardyn sighed, remembering that voice. "Bahamut," he drawled with over the top effusiveness that made it all sarcasm. "How delightful to see you again."

Bahamut's lips thinned in annoyance. "I must admit I didn't expect to see you again like this."

"You didn't have to. You are a God—you can do whatever you want with me."

"At least you acknowledge that," Bahamut returned. "That is almost reverence by your standards."

"If you want an apology for what I did to Chaos, you will be waiting an eternity," Ardyn returned. "That is, I assume it is dead."

"Yes, Chaos is no more. Since it had granted you its powers it was as though a God had slain it. As you know, Gods slain by other Gods do not regenerate."

Ardyn smirked in triumph. Regardless of what Bahamut chose to do to him, he had at least vanquished Chaos.

"As it happens, I am relieved you have defeated Chaos," Bahamut continued. "As you know, it could not be allowed here alive, or in a state to regenerate."

"So glad I could clean up your mess," Ardyn returned tauntingly. "If all you wanted to do was thank me, you may consider it said."

Bahamut's eyes narrowed. Ardyn was just as arrogant, audacious, and irreverent as always. Still, he had become his destiny. He had become darkness itself.

"It may interest you to know that, because of your efforts, Ramuh can now revive. He should be stirring in his cave as we speak," Bahamut ventured.

Ardyn simply shrugged. "I suppose that is of interest to Noct and the others, but I for one am not interested in the meanderings of Gods anymore. Do your worst to me. I no doubt deserve it."

"I must confess I do not know what to do with you," Bahamut stated pensively. "My role is to send souls to the realm of bliss or the realm of punishment. I have always known where to place souls, until you. I always have the fate of souls determined long before they reach the divergence between the realms. You are a struggle, and as such, snagged on the barrier between the two."

So at least now he knew why he had hit something, Ardyn thought. It had been unusual even for this place.

"I would think it would be obvious. I am darkness itself. I belong in the realm of suffering."

"Darkness is not evil in and of itself, Ardyn Lucis Caelum. Just as light is not always bliss. Suffering is for those who commit evil acts for their own sake—to serve themselves and only themselves. Bliss is for the pure of heart—those who do only good in their lives and serve others above themselves. You are neither."

"I doubt you will give me a choice either way," Ardyn replied. "I've been your pawn for two thousand years despite my best efforts, so why stop now? Just pick one. I will go where bid. I am done fighting fate."

"I, am sorry for what has happened to you," Bahamut continued. "All you sought was a peaceful existence between darkness and light, and you were punished for it. I, do not believe you deserve endless suffering. You have suffered enough. There is potential for you in the realm of bliss, but I do not believe you are the best fit there at the present time. I shall make one final deal with you, Ardyn Lucis Caelum:

I shall give you back the duration of a normal human life. Given your present physical age, you should have another few decades in you. Use the remainder of your human life as you see fit, independent of the will of the Gods. How you decide to live these years will dictate your final path into eternity. You shall be given the same as any normal human in that regard. Whether you choose the path of villainy or redemption is purely up to you. Only know that you will not have immortality or the powers of darkness. Merely the powers you were born with. Will you accept that, Ardyn Lucis Caelum?"

Ardyn wasn't a coward, so afraid of death that he would jump at any opportunity to regain his lost mortal life. And apologies from the Gods weren't enough for what they had put him through. If he had any pride, he would tell Bahamut to take his offer and shove it into the void along with his petty apologies.

However, Ardyn _had_ missed out on a normal life, and had often wondered what might have been. Could he make a normal life for himself? Could he find some measure of happiness with the mundane things that everyone else took for granted? He could be there in some fashion for Lux in that case, to keep him from being a pawn of fate, and prevent him from making the mistakes Ardyn had made. And it would be worth it to see his comrades's faces when he returned from the dead to plague them again, he thought with a flash of malicious amusement.

He met Bahamut's inscrutable gaze. "I rather do believe I shall take you up on your little offer."


	83. Chapter 83: New World

**Here it is! The grand finale! Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

The darkness was fading, with a gray predawn twilight taking over. With the retreat of darkness, the illusion was disappearing. Everyone could see Insomnia as it actually was. The buildings were heavily damaged. The glass windows were shattered. The concrete was pitted with holes. Rusty rebar stuck ominously out of the foundations like a martyr riddled with arrows. Chaos and Ifrit had done a number on the city.

"All our reconstruction efforts wasted," Cor commented ruefully.

"Buildings are replaceable," Ignis replied coolly.

"Not human lives," Luna added, glancing back at Ardyn's body, then towards their destination.

The Royal Shrine, and its old cemetery seemed to be intact. The chapel's gray stone moss-veined bricks had withstood Chaos's destruction far better than the skyscrapers had. Yet it still looked old, forlorn. The trees were skeletal, leafless. The rusty gates squeaked raucously as Ignis and Prompto opened them to give Noctis and Ravus access with their burden.

Ardyn's body drooped limply their arms as Ravus and Noctis carried him through the gates.

Ardyn's arm was hanging down, hand almost scraping the tufts of grass sprouting between the cobblestones. Noctis and Ravus were exhausted, dangerously close to dropping Ardyn's body, but refused to relinquish it to others. Noctis knew he owed it to Ardyn to be his pallbearer. And Ravus knew his own responsibilities as a King would not allow him to shirk such a duty.

Lux watched in morbid fascination as the last of Ardyn's blood slid down the dead hand to drip down the gray-green blades of grass, lacing the cobbles below. His hand shouldn't scrape the ground, Lux thought. It seemed the final indignity somehow. Without even thinking why he did it, and ignoring the fact it didn't really matter, he took Ardyn's hand in his, holding it up away from the ground.

He was the first one who felt it, the pulse of life within. Lux jumped, so startled he almost let Ardyn's hand drop again.

Noctis, who was holding Ardyn by the torso, felt his strangled gasp.

"What the hell," he spat out. "He's, alive," Noctis demanded.

He and Ravus stopped, depositing Ardyn on the path, rendering Lux's concerns about him hitting the cobblestones moot.

Aranea stared at Ardyn, wide-eyed as the gash in his throat began shrinking.

Luna stared it in fascination as well. "I have never seen a cure spell like that," she commented awestruck, observing the wound disappear with a rapidity that put even her high end healing skills to shame.

It took him a few tries, but Ardyn finally managed to open his eyes, gazing at his comrades. "What, are you doing," he demanded weakly.

" _That_ is what you are asking," Aranea returned in anger. " _I_ should be asking _you_ questions _._ Like how the fuck are you still alive? And what makes you think I won't kill you again for what you did to Lux?" The words were harsh, but her voice held the brittle edge of tears. Ardyn saw in shock that she was actually crying. He had never thought to see such a tough woman weep, but she was.

And she was not the only one, he noticed. Lux's eyes were red-rimmed, as were Iris's.

"If you are weeping in disappointment that I am still alive, I hope it cheers you to know that it is only temporary," Ardyn finally said. "Bahamut has decided, in his infinite arbitrariness, to give me a 'normal' mortal life. Whatever that means."

"I don't weep in disappointment," Aranea spat back. "I only weep from grief and loss."

"As do I," Iris added decisively.

Ardyn blinked in surprise. They had actually been weeping in grief? For him?

He rose awkwardly to his feet. Ignis reached forward with alacrity to assist him.

Ardyn surveyed the strained group, at somewhat of a loss.

"It's a good thing you resurrected when you did," Cor cut in, breaking the tension. "Any longer and you would have been buried alive in the Lucis Caelum graveyard."

Ardyn glanced at the tombstones up ahead, each one containing a Lucis Caelum. "You were, going to bury me here," he asked Noctis in surprise.

"Well, yeah. You are a relative of mine," Noctis replied offhandedly.

Ardyn thought he had seen it all in his two thousand years. People actually caring about him was new though, and was leaving him moved despite himself. "I do hope you weren't going to bury me next to my brother," he finally said, in an attempt to hide his emotions.

"No," Noctis replied. "I have met Somnus. I would move him to a dark forgotten corner of the cemetery if I could. But his grave is hard to move." He gestured to the monolith in the center of the graveyard.

Ardyn approached it, bemused. It was an exact replica of the Somnus statue that had stood in the town square thirty years ago at the Founder King ceremony. The statue was much older though, moss covered and crumbling in a way that only two thousand years of weathering could cause. They had commemorated him in town with a copy of his tombstone, Ardyn thought wryly. Talk about laziness on the part of the party planners.

He glanced down at the grass before it. Somewhere, a few feet below, his brother's skeleton lay, as Ardyn's should have been long since. Ardyn had been given another chance at life. A mortal life. What should he do with it? He scuffed his boot pensively along the grass patch.

Memories of his brother, long-buried and confused alongside the memories of others he had absorbed when daemonifying others, emerged. Not of his brother as the messiah who thought exterminating those afflicted was the way to combat the Starscourge, but as he had been when they were children. He remembered a long-ago picnic with the two of them plus Aera. They had all been young and innocent, probably Lux's age. There had been nothing but the balmy breeze, the drone of bees, the joking banter between the three of them alongside the companionable silence while they ate. How had things gone so wrong?

He felt a sudden lump in his throat. After two thousand years of anger, true grief was setting in. And he hated it.

He started when he sensed a presence standing beside him. "How are your hands," Lux asked him, seemingly apropos of nothing.

He glanced at them, seeing nothing unusual, except for the dregs of drying blood still on them. He wiped them on his cloak self-consciously and cleared his throat.

"They are hands," he replied, not knowing what else to say.

"Are you going to apologize for killing me," Lux asked.

"Do you want me to," Ardyn replied. "In my experience words are cheap, so an apology means nothing. All I can offer you are deeds. Whatever you wish me to do to make up for that, I shall do gladly."

"Not being a bad guy anymore would be a start," Lux said.

"That is too easy, boy. I fear my race is run there already. I have no interest in darkness, power, or vengeance anymore." He didn't want to think about what he was interested in at this point—it was too exhausting.

"Oh," Lux replied blankly. "Well, maybe I can ask you for something else later when I think about it more," he asked shyly.

"Very well, Lux. Let it be known that I, Ardyn Lucis Caelum, owe Lux Highwind Lucis Caelum a favor of undetermined nature to be redeemed when the aforementioned recipient sees fit to request it."

"That sounds like legalese to me," Aranea cut in archly. "In my experience I have learned that that leaves loopholes a mile wide to exploit."

"Ah, Aranea. Good to know that you still don't trust me," Ardyn returned.

"Just as you didn't trust me to honor my promises. I was supposed to be there for your blaze of glory, damn it. You made me break my promise."

"I trusted you to honor it. I merely chose to not give you the chance to. That is a very different thing," Ardyn replied condescendingly.

Aranea sighed. "For what it's worth, I will trust you here. I know you will give Lux whatever he wants."

"And I know if I don't you will have my head," Ardyn replied archly. His gaze returned to Lux. "Now there is a witness to my oath, so I am on the hook for whatever you wish."

Lux laughed. "Don't worry. I promise I will go easy on you," he said, running off to explore the shrine, leaving Aranea alone with Ardyn for a moment.

"I should thank you for what you did, but as it was nearly at the cost of Lux's life, I can't do so," she said in all seriousness.

"If I sought gratitude I would have lived my life a lot differently," Ardyn returned. "However, since I _did_ save the world to some degree, I think you owe me a favor," he said teasingly.

Aranea tensed. "What do you want," she asked uneasily.

Ardyn gave a slow smile to draw out her discomfort. "I rather think you and Ignis giving Lux a stable and happy life will suffice," he finally said.

"That I am happy to do," Aranea replied.

"So, does that mean you just accepted that you will be marrying me," Ignis asked coyly, cutting into the conversation.

Aranea turned to him and gave a coy smile in return. "We don't have to be married to give Lux a stable and happy life you know," she taunted.

"You know me. I am a traditional man," Ignis replied ruefully. "Please make an honest man out of me and be my wife."

She couldn't tease him any longer. Not with the pleading note in his voice and the intense look in his eye.

Ardyn heard enough, and wandered off, surveying the other graves of Lucis Caelums he never knew. He bumped into Noctis and Cor, who were studying a simple grave in the corner. It bore the name Ilunabarra (Aulea) Lucis Caelum. A modern-looking plaque was added onto it with the names Regis Lucis Caelum and Noctis Lucis Caelum.

"I, er, figured you'd all want to be buried together," Cor said apologetically.

"That works," Noctis said calmly. "Except, I might recommend a few tweaks to Regis's plaque."

"Yeah, it could use a few letters being removed," Cor replied archly.

"My first royal decree," Noctis said wryly. "You know, when we have time," he added hesitantly, and turned to Ardyn.

"So, what now," he asked him.

"If you plan to arrest me, I will not resist," Ardyn stated calmly. "If I have to face justice for my crimes, I'd rather it be from you."

Noctis studied him gravely. "Do you intend on committing any more," he finally asked.

"I would say no, but as I have learned, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. And unlawfulness tends to follow me around. However, I have promised my son to not be a 'bad guy' anymore, so I do plan to honor that, as well as I can. Given my limitations, that is," Ardyn returned.

Noctis sighed. "That is an honest answer by your standards. It is good enough for me. I cannot vouch for where you stand in Altissia or Tenebrae, but you will always have a home in Lucis."

"I wouldn't turn you away from Tenebrae, Ardyn," Ravus interjected, announcing his arrival to the scene. "Yet, I do prefer that you settle elsewhere."

Ardyn smiled wryly. "I always did look upon Lucis as my home. However, I did find Insomnia to be a bit, er, lonely. I am much more interested in the other more bucolic delights of your kingdom."

Noctis was beginning to learn Ardyn-ese. In other words, he would respect Noctis's rule, and all that he had done, by staying out of Insomnia and settling elsewhere within the kingdom.

Noctis was fine with that. Just as he was fine with Luna coming up to him, putting her arm around him, and holding him close to her. She had a place here too, one day. She would be Queen Lunafreya Nox Fleuret Lucis Caelum. Or simply Mrs. Noctis Lucis Caelum. Or "darling" would do.

Iris wasn't sure if she was ready to be a queen. But looking at Ravus's adoring face and feeling his arm around her made her hopeful that she would figure it out. With Ravus at her side, she could weather anything.

Gladio looked out past the gates. Did Holly know Insomnia was safe now? Was she safe? He needed her to be. He needed her. Cor gave him a knowing look. "I can be Noctis's sworn shield for awhile. You are hereby relieved of duty," he said. Gladio knew better than to disobey an order from his commanding officer. He was through the gates before Cor even finished talking.

"I'll go with you," he heard Prompto call from behind him.

"I don't need a bodyguard," Gladio snarked back gruffly.

"I need one for when I see Cindy," Prompto replied dryly.

"Well, I won't help you. I'll be with Holly, if you know what I mean," Gladio replied with a suggestive edge.

"As I will be with Cindy," Prompto returned, with the same edge of suggestion.

They left the city to reunite with the loves of their lives.

* * *

Ramuh took Agneya's small hand into his as he led her through her first steps. She was growing stronger every day. She was able to take on more heating and cooling efforts as time wore on. She was a natural at balancing both. Like a pianist performing a different melody with both hands, she was able to seamlessly blend the two extremes together into a stable, harmonious whole.

Her abilities and Ramuh's weather balancing were bearing fruit. Leviathan's daily flood now began an hour later than it had before. And Titan's nightly reraising occurred later as well. There was now an hour or two each day of "normal" weather conditions, just as it had been when the Six were all alive and together.

And with that extra hour, they all worked to undo the damage that the crystal had caused. The crater in the middle of Gralea was almost filled in, thanks to Titan's efforts. Leviathan was working on the water levels at Galdin Quay. They were about halfway back to their original levels. They could not undo the loss of life, but they could heal the scars. The humans could take care of the rest.

The planet was, for now anyway, stable.

* * *

Ardyn smirked in satisfaction as the EXIRNIS representative made the final connection to the power grid. Now his home, Castlemark Tower, had electricity. It was a strange place to call home, even he admitted. An old ruin once infested with daemons. Yet it spoke to him.

The ancient architecture was a product of his time, reminding him of his childhood when all things were possible. He had to concede though that modern amenities were nice. That was why he had pulled every string he could with Holly to get her company to run wires out here. He still had skills as a negotiator, he thought smugly, since he had gotten her to agree.

Ardyn still had a lot to do, a lot of repairs, but he relished the challenge. It gave him something to do, something short term to think about. Now that he had had his revenge, he was not clear on what to do with his life. He had no goals, just what existed today. Did that make him, human?

Was it also human to want to ensure Lux had a happy life by not being part of it? Ardyn had never thought to be a father—well maybe he had with Aera, but once that had been lost to him, he had never considered it again. He knew he was not a "steadying" influence by any means. And Lux needed that in his life. Or else he could end up like Ardyn.

Ardyn could have stayed with him. Noctis had offered Ardyn the title of "Commander of the Kingdom." It was reserved for those who had performed a special service for Lucis. Noctis had figured absorbing a God at the expense of one's own life qualified for this, but Ardyn had refused. He had been king once himself, so any other title would be trivial. He did not want to linger in Insomnia. It held too many bitter memories for him. It would always be Noctis's domain, not his.

No, Lux was better off with Aranea and Ignis. It was a point in Ignis's favor that he had agreed on his own to take Lux in. The boy was nothing to him, but he was everything to Aranea. Ignis wanted to be a part of both their lives, so had done the right thing. Ardyn would expect no less of him though. He really was a paragon.

By all accounts (Ardyn did make it his business to check), Lux was doing well, and was happy. That was all that mattered.

Ardyn was better off on his own. Had Bahamut really given him a "normal" life because he felt bad for him? Ardyn didn't buy it. The Gods didn't think that way. Ardyn strongly suspected there were other dark forces out there. And Bahamut was keeping him alive to see how he handled them.

Perhaps that was his long term goal, Ardyn thought. He would root out these forces and stop them. It wasn't like he could rely on Noctis and the others to do it. They were settling into their wedded bliss. And quite frankly, they had done enough. Ardyn had no wife, no future planned out, no calling. Perhaps tracking down darkness should be his calling.

Although, Castlemark Tower was big enough. Maybe he should make a hotel out of it. A hotel with a bar and casino—right on Noctis's doorstep…Ardyn smirked with malicious amusement at the idea. His life was his to do with what he pleased after all.

* * *

Insomnia was bathed in sunlight and celebrating the wedding of King Noctis and Lady Lunafreya Nox Fleuret, now Queen Lunafreya Lucis Caelum. The city streets, at least those that had been repaired, were wreathed in flowers, and white confetti was raining from the skyscraper windows of the buildings that had been spared.

To be fair, the celebration wasn't really for their wedding—that had been a low-key affair with a magistrate shortly after Chaos's defeat. They were celebrating it now to provide something positive for their fledgling kingdom—a joint wedding and Citadel reopening celebration.

All of the repairs were thanks to Cid and Talcott. They had led the reconstruction efforts with efficiency and competence. In six months, they had taken a ravaged city and made it habitable again. Cor, comparing their work to his awkward efforts after Noctis's (original) death, had to admit they knew what they were doing.

Inside the throne room of the Citadel, the hub of the Crown City, King Noctis Lucis Caelum was seated regally on his throne. It didn't matter that the throne was an easy chair from a furniture store, or that the throne room smelled of new paint and plaster. The awkward boy had grown up, ready to take on the mantle as king.

He wasn't alone though. His Prime Minster Ignis Scientia would be handling the detail stuff that he, as figurehead, wasn't supposed to "sully" his hands with. Although, Noctis knew he still would be. Ignis wouldn't let him do otherwise.

Noctis didn't have to worry about security either. Cor the Immortal had taken on being the Captain of the Guards. There had been arguments of whether he, Gladio, or Aranea would be the best choice. Noctis's first royal decision had to be to settle it. He had chosen Cor based on seniority. Aranea had seethed at being relegated to "Prime Minster's Wife," but all it had taken were some sultry promises from Ignis about what that entailed to calm her down and make her eager to take on the role.

Gladio had "settled" quite nicely into becoming the Ambassador to Lestallum. As the second largest city in the kingdom, it made sense to have a presence there. And it allowed Gladio to be conveniently close to his fiancée Holly. Iris lived there for now as well, while the "Royal Wedding" of Tenebrae was being prepared.

Ravus, always a stickler for tradition, had decreed that they should be married as all Tenebrae royals had been before, which took time and resources to prepare. The curse words Iris had uttered to him after that announcement proclaimed her as coming from a military background. She was only mollified when Ravus said it was for his people, not for him, and that he would be visiting her "often" during the preparations.

"Not in my house," Gladio had snapped back in return, to which Iris had replied "I'm 26 years old! I'm not a child!"

Before a full-blown argument could erupt between siblings, Ravus had as smoothly as a playboy interjected that he would be staying at the Levelle if Iris "cared" to visit him there. Gladio had still grumbled, but knew he was defeated. He was also not pleased that Cor had been tasked with beefing up security there because of Ravus's presence, but his hands were tied.

Prompto hadn't vied for a royal position at all. He still saw himself as "not worthy" somehow due to his Gralean origins. He was all for settling in Hammerhead with his wife Cindy, but Noctis had a better role in mind for both. Prompto became his press secretary. While he spent most of the time awkwardly deflecting questions about when there would be a royal baby, his love of photos made him a natural in press photos.

Cindy had been appointed "Mistress of the Stables," or "Keeper of the Royal Garage." She reveled in the job—souping up the royal vehicles and making sure they were properly maintained. Prompto joked she was still married to her work more so than him. Yet when they were together, it was quite obvious that he was lying.

Noctis tried to leave Ardyn alone, but he knew Cor was still periodically keeping an eye on him. "He was a threat once. It's my job to watch them," Cor had said. He knew Ardyn had taken possession of Castlemark Tower. Noctis had bad memories of that place, but he wouldn't fault Ardyn for trying to make a home out of it. He deserved a home. They all did.

Noctis glanced to his wife, the former Princess of Tenebrae and Oracle. She smiled back, shyly. They had no need for words. She was his everything, he was hers. He leaned forward to kiss her,

She leaned forward to rest her head on his shoulder to sleep. He felt himself ready to doze off as well. Things were perfect. His reign was solid; the love of his life was by his side; the populace was strongly behind him. This time, it felt real, and right.

* * *

 **And there it is! Just shy of two years to write and post. Lots of real life changes (good and bad) along the way, but Lucis and Eos live on :-) Thanks to everyone who has read, reviewed, and followed this story. I know it's very long, so for those of you who have followed along with it, or read it in binges-I salute you and thank you from the bottom of my heart.**

 **Not sure if anyone is interested, but I do have a "sequel" bouncing around in my head-I want to explore Ardyn's new life and see how well he can (or can't) adapt to it, or if Bahamut really kept him alive for a reason. Not sure how far I will get with it, or if anybody cares, but let me know via PM if you are interested, or keep an eye out for it. Anyway, that's it from me for now. This story: complete!**


	84. Chapter 84: Sequel Teaser

**Hi Everyone! I've been hearing whispers that some folks out there may want a sequel! Thanks a bunch for all the feedback and encouragement. Here is a teaser to my next story. I'm posting it here so you all can find it, but from here on out, everything will move to my brand new story. Heads up: it will have OC's and probably an Ardyn/OC ship down the road. Without further ado, here it is, and I hope you give it a chance!**

* * *

The library in the Domestic Wing of the Citadel was, in normal circumstances, a peaceful haven. The books it housed, both ancient and modern, stood in orderly rows from floor to ceiling on the dark wood shelves. Spiral staircases in the corners led to a wrought iron lattice catwalk that ringed the upper story, giving bibliophiles an alternative to climbing a tall ladder to reach the upper shelves.

The room was tastefully festooned with reading nooks, window seats, desks, and comfortable chairs. Anything to keep the visitors comfortable. It was almost too comfortable of a room to go to school in, Lux Highwind Lucis Caelum Scientia thought. However, his governess, Eostre Hallbera, managed to keep things entertaining, forcing him to learn almost in spite of himself.

It helped that she had once been a doctor, or something. She didn't talk about it much, but she was a fount of information healing herbs, poisons, crazy symptoms of illnesses, rare diseases. He could listen to lectures on it all day, if he were allowed to.

"Do, you think Ignis is right about Altissia," he asked his governess.

Eostre adjusted her leaf-green-framed glasses, an almost unconscious movement on her part while she mustered her thoughts. She didn't want to speak ill of the Prime Minister. Especially Ignis Scientia, the stepfather of her charge. He had served Noctis with efficiency and compassion, helping him return light to the world. He had seemed the logical choice for caring for the Kingdom in Noctis's stead while he and Luna went on their long-overdue honeymoon.

However, his recent call to block transit to and from Altissia was disturbing, and out of character. Would Noctis be cool with it? It was hard to tell since his honeymoon had lasted three months so far and counting. And he was totally incommunicado.

"Well, it's like what his Press Secretary Prompto said," Eostre began awkwardly. "Now that Camelia Claustra has stepped down from her role as High Secretary, it has left a power vacuum in Altissia that potentially unsavory elements may seek to exploit. The instability of that region in general means that more refugees may start seeking asylum, which could cause an infrastructure problem for Lucis in our present state of rebuilding."

Lux scoffed, tossing his pale blonde hair in derision, a move too similar to his real father for Eostre's comfort. "Ignis wouldn't care about that at all," he exclaimed. "The real Ignis would let anyone in he could. He knows full well what it's like to be without a country. I'm telling you, something is wrong with him! With everyone!"

Eostre looked around quickly, to make sure they weren't being overheard. His sentiments disturbingly aligned with hers, but it wasn't prudent to air them. She had thought the past was behind them. She had believed light had returned and that Noctis and Luna, alongside their Prime Minister Ignis Scientia, would rule justly and compassionately. She had thought Captain of the Guards Cor Leonis would keep the peace.

They had, at first, but they had changed. Noctis and Luna had become so preoccupied with having a royal heir that they had departed for a long overdue honeymoon three months ago and had yet to return. Ignis, ruling in their stead, had begun some disturbing isolationist policies that Cor and Prompto backed him on.

Even Gladio, serving as ambassador to Lestallum, was supporting that vision, lobbying with the officials in Lestallum to put some safeguards in place against Altissia refugees. Seeing as the main official there was Holly Teulle, soon to be Mrs. Gladio Amitica, it was evident that Lestallum would follow suit.

And his sister, Iris, was now queen of Tenebrae, alongside King Ravus Nox Fleuret. Gladio could no doubt call in favors there as well. Eostre never would have thought Gladio could be a threat due to connections—he had seemed a more straightforward warrior type. Yet, that skill was of less use in peacetime. Diplomacy packed more of a punch, and who he had influence with made him a force to be reckoned with there.

"Absolute power corrupts absolutely," echoed in Eostre's head. Yet, she refused to even think it of them. They had sacrificed so much—seen firsthand the drawbacks of too much power. They were the most heroic people she knew. Yet, what was wrong with them?

Her reverie was cut short when the door to the library opened and Aranea Highwind Scientia, Lux's mother, entered.

"Oh, here you are Lux," she said, voice the same as always.

Yet, Eostre saw the difference. For one thing, Aranea had totally ignored her. Aranea usually treated her with the same informality that she used for Lux. They had known each other for almost twelve years after all. If it weren't for Aranea, Eostre would never have left Gralea alive, or uncorrupted-all thanks to Ardyn Izunia…

Even thinking his name put a bad taste in her mouth. And that son of a bitch was still alive, somehow. Eostre didn't have all the particulars, but she knew he had managed to walk between the raindrops, to not have had the need to atone for his crimes.

Aranea, Ignis, and Lux said he was changed, toned down, but Eostre didn't believe it. She was a firm believer in the phrase, leopards never change their spots. If she ever saw him again, she would give him a piece of her mind. Given her present company, it was possible they would meet again, but she made every effort to ensure they never did. She wanted nothing to do with him when all was said and done. Still, she wouldn't put it past him to be involved in all of this, somehow.

"Hi, mom," Lux squeaked. "We were just, discussing political theory."

"Good, good," Aranea replied brightly. "You will need that for when you succeed Ignis as Prime Minister one day."

Lux jolted back, surprised that his mother would even say that. She knew firsthand he had no aspirations there. Why would she force it now? She was acting weird too, just like Ignis…

"I'm worried about you, Lux. With all the stuff going on Altissia, we may be dealing with darkness coming again," Aranea continued, with seemingly genuine concern.

"If I may, Aranea," Eostre broke in, "a little bit of instability in Altissia doesn't mean a rise in darkness."

Aranea turned on her sharply. "This is between me and my son," she snapped back. Eostre stepped back in shock. Aranea had never treated her this way. For all that Aranea had been the leader of Tenebrae and now the Prime Minister's wife, she had always seen herself as an equal, and encouraged everyone she knew to speak freely on any issue. Even if Eostre had spoken out of turn, it didn't warrant this type of reaction.

"We need the light now more so than ever Lux," Aranea continued. "I'd like to make sure you are protected. It is the least I can do, seeing as I failed you for ten years."

"Oh, that," Lux said with a nervous laugh. "You didn't know about me. It's totally cool."

"I should have known about you," Aranea replied sharply. "I should have known Verstael would take my DNA without my knowledge, combine it with Ardyn's, and create you. Gene splicing was his MO. I should have known. I am going to make it up to you. You and I will join Cosmos together in the light."

So saying, a white mist oozed from her fingers as she approached Lux.

"No, wait, Mom," Lux cried out in fear, not liking this one bit.

White mist—just like black mist…Eostre was propelled back twelve years ago. To Gralea. Black mist swirling from all of the corrupted. She may have been a helpless victim then—thinking about having been in Ardyn's clutches made her feel cold even now. But this was not then. She was older, had lived through ten years of darkness. She would not make the same mistakes she had then.

She spied the bouquet of bamboo poles resting in a giant black ceramic vase in the corner. Designed to be decorative with a minimalist aesthetic, were they strong enough to use as a weapon? She would find out. She grabbed one, ran up to Aranea, and slugged her behind the knees.

Aranea wasn't expecting it—her attention fanatically focused on Lux. Her knees collapsed, forcing her to fall to her knees on the floor.

"Run, Lux," Eostre ordered as Aranea gracefully rose to her feet, shaking off the pain, advancing towards Eostre with a warrior's stance.

Eostre impatiently shoved her slightly graying rose-gold hair out of her line of vision, and spied with relief Lux dashing up one of the spiral staircases to get as far away as he could. That was all she could tell though as Aranea lunged forward in attempt to grab the pole from her.

A too successful attempt as Eostre felt it slide out of her sweaty (with fear) grasp.

"You are not worthy of the light," Aranea said flatly, wielding the newly-acquired polearm with the skill of a master.

Eostre knew a polearm could kill in so many ways. And Aranea undoubtedly knew every one. Was Aranea going to bludgeon her, impale her, strike her from above? Eostre wasn't a fighter. The notion of defending herself from any of it was laughable.

The only thing she had had to fight back with was her all-too-limited medical training. She knew what parts of the human body were vulnerable though. Eostre lunged forward, meeting the pole head on. It helped that Aranea still had it sideways, protecting her torso. That didn't matter. Eostre used her whole weight to press against it to keep Aranea from moving around, and to keep the weapon out of play.

This was one advantage to being taller and stockier than the average woman, Eostre thought wryly. No matter how skilled somebody was, if you threw all your weight at them, it still gave you an edge. She reached around Aranea's guard and grabbed her behind the ear. Eostre knew light pressure on the carotid artery in the area could cause someone to quickly lose consciousness, and played that card out of desperation.

Aranea tried to twist aside, but Eostre's not insignificant weight against the pole prevented leverage. The pole was rendered useless at such close quarters with Eostre pressed against it. Eostre's precision strike worked. Aranea's consciousness receded, and she collapsed, rag-doll to the floor.

"Holy crap! How did you do that," Lux asked in a mix of horror and fascination, hurrying back down the stairs with a speed that made Eostre fear he would fall and break his neck.

She should chide her charge for his language too, she thought dazedly. But now was not the time. How the hell could someone like her have incapacitated a hardened warrior like Aranea? Why did she have to in the first place? Was Aranea seriously injured? Should Eostre administer first aid?

But Aranea had made a move first. The white mist was a threat in and of itself. And she had aimed at it her own son. Eostre had just been defending them both. But why had Aranea forced her to? What the hell was going on?

Lux crouched down next to his mother, unsure whether to revive her or run from her. Eostre was in the same boat. Her breastbone and diaphragm hurt from blocking the polearm, as though she had fallen flat on her face from a great height. Had the pole managed to crack her ribs? It didn't matter for the moment. She needed to figure out what to do next.

Eostre was Lux's governess. Presently the adult in charge. She had to make the decision. Why was she not deemed high enough caliber to have the emergency contact information for Noctis and Luna, she thought in frustration. This was worth interrupting their honeymoon for. They could have helped her.

She was terrible in a crisis, always looking to lean on others, she thought in a panic. Just as she had in Gralea. She had thought Ardyn would help, but…she slammed down that thought. She didn't have Noctis's information, and it wasn't like Aranea or Prime Minister Ignis would give it. She would be tossed in a dungeon or outright killed after what she had just done.

Or worse—if that white mist worked like the black mist had…

They had to get out of here. Before Aranea woke up. Before the guards arrived and-the door to the hallway creaked open. It was too late. The guards would see Aranea unconscious, clearly attacked, with her son's governess standing over her. It wouldn't take an investigative genius to realize who Aranea's attacker was. And attacking the Prime Minister's wife was high treason.

There was no point in running for it, or trying to explain her actions. Eostre had been absurdly lucky with subduing Aranea. She could not hope to succeed against Cor or any of the guards. She stood in front of Lux to shield him and let her dove gray gaze shift to the doorway, meeting the opposition's gaze with calm dignity.

"Oh, my," the voice from the man she had never wanted to see again drawled from the doorway. "How many of King Noctis's laws have you just broken, I wonder?"

Ardyn Izunia sauntered in, looking much the same as he always had. Eostre was all too aware of how much she had aged in twelve years. To see him largely unchanged, even having that same smug smirk and knowing glance that she had always hated, wasn't fair.

His amber gaze fixed on her. Of course, he would not recognize her, she thought bitterly. She had been nothing but a pawn of his. And now she was a slightly graying, 40-year-old pawn. Even less worthy of his notice. His gaze gave nothing away. As usual, she could not read him, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to.

"Instead of throwing yourself upon the tender mercies of Prime Minister Iggy, perhaps you should come with me," he continued, smoothly, but with a dark edge that said she should obey him or else.

This was just like Gralea. People acting strangely, allies turning on each other. And Ardyn was the common denominator. Lux, Aranea, and Ignis had been wrong. Ardyn was not reformed. Eostre had been right. Once a villain, always a villain. He was back to raise hell. And she couldn't let him.

Her eyes darkened to the shade of a thunderhead. Forgetting the fact that she had just considered herself lucky with defeating Aranea, she grabbed the bamboo pole from Aranea's limp hand and lunged towards Ardyn, ignoring Lux's cry of alarm. It didn't matter that she didn't know how to use it. It didn't matter how strong, or lack thereof, she was. She had been given the chance to give him a piece of her mind, and would give it.

* * *

 **Adieu Final Fantasy 15-2 Reconstruction and Illusion! Now begins Final Fantasy 15-3 Redemption and Inversion. Hope you check it out!**


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